Lyon 2-2 Man Utd: Match report & 4 talking points as Red Devils rue late equaliser | OneFootball

Manchester United were left ruing a late equaliser conceded against Lyon on Thursday night, having been on course to take an aggregate lead back to Old Trafford next week.

It looked as though Joshua Zirkzee’s 88th minute header was going to seal a hard fought 2-1 victory in France, only for Rayan Cherki to snatch an even later goal to even things up.

Thiago Almada had initially given Lyon a first half lead, before Leny Yoro headed United back on level terms right before the interval.

How the game unfolded

French football can do hostile away days as well as anyone and Lyon fans brought the noise, a deafening backdrop greeting both sets of players.

The early stages of the game didn’t match the atmosphere from the stands, as either side looked to feel the other out. It meant limited chances early on, until just shy of 20 minutes in when Patrick Dorgu’s promising cutback couldn’t be converted by Rasmus Hojlund.

The contested started to flow a little more freely after that and Lyon gave their fans something to really shout about as Almada broke the deadlock midway through the first half. The Argentine’s free-kick wide on the left was intended as a cross, but as leaping Lyon shirts in the middle failed to make contact, Andre Onana misjudged it and the ball nestled in the far corner.

United have grown used to falling behind but needed to avoid being swallowed by the crowd. They held steady and, deep into first half stoppage time, Yoro grabbed the equaliser. It was a little unorthodox, with a Bruno Fernandes free-kick initially punched clear by Lyon goalkeeper Lucas Perri, that was then volleyed back towards goal by Manuel Ugarte. The flick from Yoro as it flashed past his head was instinctive but effective as the ball rippled the back of the net.

Into the second half and Lyon substitute Alexandre Lacazette missed a great opportunity to restore his side’s lead, firing wide at close-range after excellent work from Georges Mikautadze to create the chance. The hosts continued to make the better chances, with Corentin Tolisso shooting too tamely to trouble Onana and Mikautadze firing off target from a decent position.

Creative quality from both sides was starting to lack, until United saw two excellent opportunities to take the lead come and go with ten minutes left. Alejandro Garnacho connected with Patrick Dorgu’s cross from the left, to be denied by Perri, before Casemiro headed wide from the resultant corner.

There was still time for ex-Arsenal veteran Lacazette to miss another decent chance, blazing high and wide from just inside the box, which was punished moments later as Zirkzee put United in front for the first time. The Dutchman latched onto Fernandes’ floated dink to the far post to head in.

But Lyon ended up having the last laugh. As they pushed forward, Mikautadze’s strike was saved by Onana, with the ball ricocheting back off the goalkeeper into Cherki’s path to sweep home.

Check out the player ratings from Lyon vs Manchester United here.

Still unbeaten

Although the disappointment is seeing a win turn into a draw, United themselves thought they had snatched a decisive late goal only a few moments earlier.

What they are is the only team still unbeaten in this season’s Europa League. It’s now 11 without defeat at the continental level, which is a run Ruben Amorim could only dream of domestically.

Europe has been United’s respite throughout this challenging season.

Unchanged XI

Is Ruben Amorim getting some selection rhythm? / Anadolu/GettyImages

For the first time since becoming Manchester United head coach in November, Ruben Amorim named an unchanged XI. The team that started Sunday’s Manchester derby draw clearly sufficiently impressed him, while it is also a positive sign of new no injuries in a season defined by absences.

That being said, Amorim still had the room on the bench to name four academy youngsters – Harry Amass, Godwill Kukonki, Jack Moorhouse and Jaydan Kamason.

Mason Mount got another cameo run-out in this one, while it also marked the welcome return to action of Kobbie Mainoo after a number of weeks sidelined.

Pressure on Onana

Ex-United midfielder Nemanja Matic pulled no punches pre-game when he described Andre Onana as “one of the worst” goalkeepers the club has ever had. It put a huge spotlight on the Cameroonian, who was greeted with a hostile atmosphere from the Lyon fans in a bid to put him off his game.

Willing Onana to make a mistake, he did. The way Lyon went ahead through Thiago Almada was the absolute last thing the United goalkeeper needed, caught off guard by the flight of the ball and the players moving across his eye-line. Sadly for Onana, it’s now eight errors leading to goals across all competitions since the start of last season, which is a high among all Premier League goalkeepers.

It wasn’t the biggest gaffe, but it was avoidable and what Matic had set out to achieve from his comments in the build-up was seemingly successful.

Yoro opens Man Utd account

Leny Yoro netted / Michael Steele/GettyImages

Leny Yoro hasn’t been known during his fledgling career as a goalscoring centre-back. In fact, prior to kick-off here, the teenage Frenchman had found the net only three times.

But there is something to be said for a central defender who can be a threat in both boxes. United famous had it with Steve Bruce more than 30 years ago, while Sergio Ramos scored more than 100 goals for Real Madrid. Nemanja Vidic was a little more hit and miss but got seven goals in 2008/09.

Harry Maguire has returned respectable numbers of late, scoring seven since the start of last season, but there is potential for Yoro to really raise the bar in that respect now that he’s off the mark.