Man United vs Lyon line-ups – Onana RETURNS
Man United XI: Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire, Yoro; Dalot, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu; Garnacho, Fernandes; Hojlund
Lyon XI: Perri; Maitland-Niles, Mata, Niakhate, Tagliafico; Vertout, Akoukou, Tolisso; Cherki, Mikautadze, Almada.
Pre-match reading
Includes latest United Files and Onana ‘on trial’
Old Trafford audition for Cherki
Just like Karim Benzema in 2008, Lyon travel to Manchester with an envious crown jewel in their side: Rayan Cherki.
Cherki, like Benzema, notched a decisive goal in the first-leg and has seen the noise around him grow significantly ahead of tonight’s game.
The prodigious attacking dynamo has been a name on many French lips since his debut in 2019 as a 16-year-old.
The talent flickered, but without much substance. Now, that has changed; 11 goals and 18 assists this season is the production that warrants the hype.
Clubs are circling, including Man United no less.
“We see the player he is now. I’m happy because every player can be at their best for three games, but Rayan is one of the best in every statistic in Europe. He has something really special,” said ex-boss Pierre Sage to The Athletic.
What happened in the first leg?
Manchester United lost their advantage against Lyon in France last week due to two Andre Onana mistakes.
The United keeper made quite a controversy in the build-up to the Europa League quarter-final by declaring his side ‘obviously superior’ than Lyon, statements that enraged Nemanja Matic and came back to hit Onana.
He mishandled a free-kick delivery from Thiago Almada for Lyon’s initial goal, and he was also to blame for the hosts’ dramatic late equaliser.
United’s goals came from Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee, who both scored with fantastic headers, however their custodian let them down. Almada benefited from the first blunder before Rayan Cherki capitalised on the second.
Ruben Amorim revealed yesterday that Onana will start in goal today, putting the onus on the 29-year-old to redeem himself and assist United advance to the semi-finals.
The best Europa League player ever?
Talking about that mercurial Portuguese player…
It feels rather belittling to put a player of the calibre of Bruno Fernandes in second-tier conversations, but he’s a product of his environment after all.
For United, that has largely been the Europa League, which Fernandes has performed exceptionally.
The playmaker has 41 goal involvements in the competition – the most in the history.
You would reckon if United were to win this, he would undoubtedly play a major part in it and solidify himself, rightly or wrongly, as the best to operate in the competition.
European night under the lights
Evening and welcome to another night of European action. Whilst, the Champions League entertained in the last two days, it was merely a placeholder for the tense action expected to unfold tonight.
Old Trafford rarely fails to meet the task that a spectacle demands, regardless of the 11 men in the Red shirt.
If you cast your mind back, Manchester United and Lyon have met in these circumstances before—17 years ago, to be exact.
After a contested score draw in France, Old Trafford staged the second and decisive game of a crucial knockout tie. It was messy, but decided by a mercurial Portuguese talisman.
Surely, history can’t repeat itself? Kick-off, 8pm BST.
