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Lyon star Rayan Cherki has slammed Manchester United for their defensive approach, accusing the Red Devils of being afraid following their 2-2 draw. The two sides faced each other in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League quarterfinals at the Groupama Stadium on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
Andre Onana's error led to Lyon breaking the deadlock via Thiago Almada's free-kick in the first half. Manchester United fought back, taking the lead following goals from Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee. However, Onana's second howler of the night led to Rayan Cherki leveling the scores in stoppage time to seal a 2-2 draw.
Following the game, Cherki stated (via METRO):
"We played a full game. We were much better than that team. We showed the full extent of our talent. We know Manchester are a good team. We were never afraid of them. We will never be afraid of them."
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When he was later questioned about Onana's pre-match comments of Manchester United being a better side than Lyon, Cherki replied:
"They got the answer themselves. When you come with two defensive midfielders, there’s no need to say more. We’ll go there to attack and not to defend like they did here."
While Ruben Amorim did start two defensive midfielders against Lyon in Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte, the Red Devils did have their moments in attack. The latter landed 13 shots in total, with five being on target, accumulating an xG of 1.22. This figure wasn't far off Lyon, who landed 16 shots in total, with five being on target (xG of 1.76).
"He hasn’t been quite good enough": Paul Scholes comments on Andre Onana's future at Manchester United following Lyon draw
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes believes the Red Devils need to think about replacing Andre Onana in the summer after he made two massive errors during their 2-2 draw against Lyon. However, he questioned if the club has a high enough transfer budget to accommodate the signing of a new goalkeeper.
Onana hasn't had the best of seasons, keeping 10 clean sheets in 43 appearances across all competitions. In addition, the 29-year-old has failed to impress with his distribution as well and has been prone to making errors over the past two years.
Scholes told TNT Sports (via METRO):
"Yeah, I think it’s something they need to think about. But they need to look at the budget as well. Can you get away with not spending that money on a goalkeeper? He hasn’t been quite good enough but it will come down to money and what Amorim has got to spend."
He further expressed concerns about Amorim's potential difficulties:
"We’ve seen this goalkeeper do well at Inter Milan as well. But I don’t think his distribution has been great either, and that’s one of the reasons he was brought in. But can you almost get away with not spending another £40m on a goalkeeper? I don’t know. Ruben Amorim has a lot of problems to solve."
Manchester United will face Lyon in the second leg of the Europa League quarter-finals at Old Trafford on Thursday, April 17, 2025.
