If there’s one thing not to do in the build-up to a big European tie, winding up the opposition is it.
Manchester United travel to France to face Lyon in the quarter-finals of the Europa League on Thursday and goalkeeper Andre Onana has drawn the ire of the Red Devils’ opponents with an ill-advised assessment of their abilities.
“I think we are better than them,” he said. “We just have to go there and show who we are.”
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana’s comments give Lyon extra motivation
Taken in context, there’s not much about Onana’s comments that’s inaccurate. The clear intent behind is words is to express confidence in United’s approach ahead of an important match.
“If we go with a winning mentality, if we are focused, if we remain compact and supportive, and if we follow the game plan, we will win the game,” he added.
But football is a sport of narrow margins. If disrespect can be weaponised, then weaponised it shall be.
“I think we’re much better than them,” said Onana. Regardless of context, these are words to be grasped, twisted and thrown back in his face, and Lyon know it.
Former United and Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic certainly knows it. The former Serbian international joined Lyon last January and did a little of the requisite twisting of Onana’s words while on media duties ahead of the Europa League clash.
“Onana?” he asked. “I respect everyone but to say that then you need to get the answer. If you are one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United history, you need to take care what you’re talking about.
“If David De Gea or Peter Schmeichel or [Edwin] Van der Sar said that, then I will question myself. But if you are statistically one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United modern history, then, you know, he needs to show that before he says [it] so we will see.”
United have turned in an awful season in the Premier League. They currently sit in 13th place with just 38 points from 31 games, a poor return for a club accustomed to much more rarefied air.
They barely made a mark on the two domestic cup competitions either, but of course Onana knows all that.
He also knows that United have fared much better in the Europa League. After finishing third in the monstrous new uni-table, they reached the quarter-final by beating Real Sociedad over two legs in the round of 16.
Onana and Matic will go eyeball to eyeball when Man United and Lyon meet on Thursday night.
