A stoppage-time equalizer from Rayan Cherki secured a thrilling 2-2 draw for Olympique Lyonnais against Manchester United in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final. The match took place at Groupama Stadium, where the visiting goalkeeper, Andre Onana, faced scrutiny after making critical errors that contributed to both of Lyon’s goals.
The game began with an early mistake from Onana, giving Lyon’s Thiago Almada a chance to open the scoring in the 25th minute. United managed to respond with a goal from young center-back Leny Yoro, who netted his first goal for the club just before halftime, bringing the match level.
Late in the game, Joshua Zirkzee appeared to give United the upper hand with a header that put them ahead 2-1. However, Cherki made the most of another error from Onana, converting a rebound in stoppage time to deny United a potentially crucial away victory.
United’s manager, Ruben Amorim, expressed disappointment after the match, stating, “We are really disappointed to concede late. We should have taken a one-goal advantage to the next game but we will try to win that game at home.” He also noted that mistakes can weigh heavily on the entire team, reflecting the collective nature of football dynamics.
Despite their ongoing domestic struggles, this result maintains United’s unbeaten record in the Europa League this season. With the return leg set to take place at Old Trafford, the team will be eager to capitalize on their home advantage and build on this performance to progress to the semi-finals. The resilience shown by both sides in this match provides fans with reasons to remain hopeful for an exciting climax in the knockout phase of the tournament.
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