Football Daily - The Europa League Debrief: Onana errors leave Man Utd level with Lyon

Episode Date: April 10, 2025

What next for Andre Onana and Manchester United after his mistakes against Lyon? And how did Rangers show the spirit to hold on against Athletic Bilbao?Conor McNamara, Izzy Christensen and Aaron Lennon look back on an entertaining night in the opening legs of the Europa League quarter finals. We hear from Ruben Amorim on Onana’s performance, and Ange Postecoglou says “the football gods have their eyes elsewhere” after their 1-1 draw at home to Eintracht Frankfurt.TIMECODES 0’55 How does Andre Onana recover from this? 11’12 Ruben Amorim answers questions on Onana 13’06 Rangers v Athletic Club reaction 18’19 Tottenham Hotspur v Eintracht Frankfurt reaction 22’18 Ange Postecoglou Commentaries this week: Saturday 12th April WOMENS FA CUP: Chelsea v Liverpool 1215 KO on Sports Extra. PREMIER LEAGUE: Nottingham Forest v Everton 1500 KO on 5 Live. PREMIER LEAGUE: Arsenal v Brentford 1730 KO on 5 Live. Sunday 13th April PREMIER LEAGUE: Liverpool v West Ham 1400 KO on 5 Live. PREMIER LEAGUE: Chelsea v Ipswich 1400 KO – on Sports Extra. PREMIER LEAGUE: Wolves v Spurs 1400 KO – on the BBC Sport website. PREMIER LEAGUE: Newcastle v Manchester United 1630 KO- on 5 Live.

BBC Sounds music radio podcasts. On the Football Daily Podcasts, the debrief. Listen on BBC Sounds. Hello and welcome to the Europa League debrief on the Football Daily Podcast with me, Connor McNamara. I'm alongside former Leon and England midfielder Izzy Christensen and we're also joined by former Spurs and England winner Aaron Lennon So let's start with events in the Europa League this evening It was a night in which we had several British teams in action Manchester United drawing 2-2 Here in France against Leon Rangers who miraculously got a nil 0-0 draw at home to Athletic. Bill Pound will hear all about that in just a moment. Tottenham also a draw going into their second leg of the quarterfinals.

They drew 1-1 at home to Eintracht Frankfurt. But we'll start here in Lyon where before this evening, Manchester United were the only team left unbeaten in UEFA competition this season. They do remain unbeaten but it's Andre Onala who is in the headlines. Now if you were aware of the build up to this game there's been quite the war of words. Onala who said that Manchester United were a way better team than their French opponents which caused the former Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic who now plays with Lyon to respond and say that Onana is one of the worst keepers in the history of the Manchester United Football Club. The reason all of this becomes pertinent in the after-match of the game is that

Lyon's both goals involved errors by Onana. He's going to be in the spotlight, he's going to be questioned, Izzy Christensen, how much at fault do you feel he was for the Almada goal in the spotlight. He's going to be questioned. Is he Christensen? How much at fault do you feel he was for the Al Maddicol in the first half and the 95th minute equalizer from Cherokee? Both. I think, you know, there was a lot coming into this game. It really teed it up nicely. It was a game that did not disappoint in any fashion. I thought it was a brilliant game of football. But of course, the eyes were honed in on Andre and Anna at the start of the game. You know, he went over to the ultras at the start of the game when he had his headphones on. Before he started his warm up, he was sort of absorbing the atmosphere. And I think that was a sign of things to come.

He thought that mentally he could deal with it. But the first opportunity that Leon got to whip the ball in from that set piece on this left hand side that just went in, it bounced in front of Ana and he failed to get his hand to it and get enough purchase on it to tip it round the post. Everyone was looking at him and then of course right at the death of the game, Cherokee sneaks in off that parry from Anana to make it 2-2. So yeah, the tires perfectly poised for next week, but Anana very firmly in the spotlight. So chronologically, the pendulum did swing here in Lyon tonight. Almada's opening goal, that mistake by Onala, that was after 26 minutes.

Lyon were the better team in the first half, all the possession, better chances. But against the run of play, Manchester United equalised just before half time. Leni Yorho with his first ever goal for Manchester United. And that put Ruben Amram's team in much better form in the second half. And they played much better football. They were to take the lead in the 88th minute. Joshua Xerxi, who was brought on in place of Rasmus Hoeland, getting on the end of a really good cross from Bruno Fanalis, but he still had a lot of work to do. It was a commanding header. It gave Manchester United a 2-1 lead with

two minutes to go and they felt destined to be bringing a lead back to Old Trafford for next Thursday's second leg. However, then Onana's second error, because Leon went for it late on and in the five minutes that were added on for stoppages, after a scramble in the penalty area, a tame shot came towards Onana and he couldn't hold it, he couldn't get rid of it, it just bounced off him and into the path of Rehan Cirki, who was to score the goal that will put even more scrutiny on the goalkeeper. Let's bring in Aaron Lennon. Aaron, you've been watching events this evening. Onana finding himself in the spotlight again.

He's more than in the spotlight. These are two disasters for me. Both goals massively at fault. The first one, he goes down too late. He sees it all the way. It's a great ball. Like I said, you get these balls out wide and you say aim for the far post. Put a bit of a whip on it, aim for the far post, but the goalkeeper's got to do better. He tries to push

it around the post and he gets it all wrong. And the second one, like I said, there's not much on the strike. Like I said, it's a decent strike, but it's straight at him. I don't know if he's trying to parry it just to take the sting out of it to then to get hold of it, but it's a massive mistake. And he was in the headlines before the game and now he's going to be all over him. There's always question marks about Onana and this is really big question marks now. Let's double click on the data around this. So, Nemanja Matic says that Onana is the worst goalkeeper in Manchester United history. Well, this is what the stats say.

He does have to make the most saves per 90 minutes of actually any Manchester United goalkeeper in the last 20 years We all know Manchester United aren't having a good season They're allowing opponents come through and and take a lot of shots The key thing I guess is the safe percentage and this doesn't make good reading for Onana Only Anders Lindegard in the last 20 years has had a worse save percentage than Andre Onana In the Premier League he concedes a goal on average every 63 minutes and a stat from Opta is interesting, is he? Since the start of last season no goalkeeper has made more errors leading to goals for Premier League clubs in all competitions than Manchester United's

Andre Onana. It doesn't, you know, welcome great listening that at all and you know my mind is just drifting towards next week as well and I'm wondering does Amram stick or twist with the goalkeeper? Do you take him out the firing line or do you keep him in? It's an interesting one the up and seen it out better. in order to take it back to Old Trafford at 2-1. Aaron, do you see a long lasting effect of this criticism, which is surely only going to raise in volume now over the next few days? And Manchester United travel to Newcastle on Sunday. But, you know, in the recent past, we've seen players like, let's say, Harry Maguire, he's had a lot of criticism, but seems to have been able to brush it off and keep his place in the team. Bruno Fernandes has had a lot of criticism but yet he seems to have turned a corner and

winning favour again. Do you see a recovery, a redemption for Andre Onana from this position? I've watched him speak and I watched the way he carries himself and he strikes me as a big confidence guy type thing and I think he can recover from this. I don't think the manager will drop him. I think that would be huge. I think that would kill him. And then he would probably have to leave him out for the rest of the season.

But when you're in the goal, like you said, you can get away with it sometimes if you're a full back, but when you're the goalkeeper, and it's not only that, I think there's a couple of times where Harry Maguire kicks it out of play because he's not sure if the goalkeeper is going to come and it creates that uncertainty with the back four or the back five and that's the problem I think what Man United have now is coming for crosses, the defenders don't know whether to clear it, they lose trust in your goalkeeper and that's that's not a good thing for Man United. Right well let's try to pick maybe one or two more

positives out of a quarterfinal tie that will be too an aggregate when it kicks off for the second leg at Old Trafford. Let's talk about Lenny Yorow's equaliser, 19 years of age, huge price tag, hit by injury immediately when he arrived but he's getting a run in the team now and now is he here, scored his first goal in Manchester United Colours. Yeah, that'll give him loads of confidence, it's not his job to score goals but I think that that goal that he did score tonight had real significance because Manchester United colors. Yeah, that'll give him loads of confidence. It's not his job to score goals, but I think that that goal that he did score tonight had real significance because Manchester United were on the rack and to go in at halftime, the timing of the goal was perfect.

It was seconds before the halftime whistle blew, completely changed the dynamic of how, you know, the dressing would have felt when they, when they went in and it was a wonderful goal in terms of the, the instinctive sort of body shape that he applied to sort of guide the ball in beyond Perry in the Lyon goal and I thought tonight he was fantastic. I thought he looked really assured. You mentioned in the commentary at West HEC when he came forward a different occasion to have a shot and you said you know it's great that he's doing that but actually he shouldn't really be the one doing it. It sort of sums up the chaotic nature of Manchester United. I guess though when you come to

this situation, knockout stages of the Champions League that you'll take some positives wherever you get them. Of course you will. And I think this is the sort of the thing with this system. You get three centre backs, four across the middle who are more sort of defensive than attacking minded. But then the players involved in the build up, Yoro, then he started sort of piercing through Leon's midfield because he could. He received a one, two off Bruno Fernandez, found himself on the edge of the box and he strikes a shot wide. Like no problem with that. Absolutely take the shot on. But ultimately what I'm trying to say is the system shouldn't really lend itself to your centre backs having shots from those distances. You want your Fernandez as in around those areas when you

go on at shows, your Mason mounts players that are instinctive goal scorers. But I guess Aaron, we shouldn't ignore the performance he has had. £52 million, the most expensive player aged 18 or younger in football history. Lenny Yorow, this feels like one of those nights where he's now got a growing stature. Yeah, I believe so. I really like him. There was a lot of hype, a lot of talk about him beforehand, but I've been really impressed with him. He came in, he's a tough guy, he's still so young. And to come into the league, into a struggling Man United side, I think he's got better and better week in, week out.

He seems to be over his injuries now. And, yeah, he looks like a great signing. There's been some not-so-great recruitment over the past few windows for Man United, but he looks like a top, top player. Yeah, it's a good point for Marilizzi about, you know, coming into this team that has been malfunctioning. I think Prime Franco-Borzzi would probably struggle to look comfortable playing in that back three at the moment. Yeah, exactly. And I think that Aaron's, you

know, hit the nail on the head there. They're starting to sort of make strides. I even think Harry Maguire, I know he's not a young developing player, but I even think his performances have been really consistent and they're starting to sort of blend a little bit. So there are positives in this without a doubt. And it did get a bit fiery in the second half. And I think Manchester United fans will like this because from the tackles were flying in and the aftermaths and the rows and the pushing Mason Mount picked up a yellow card. But you said, Izzy, that you liked that. I liked it a lot. And I'm sure the Manchester United fans would have liked it because it showed a bit of bite, you know, a bit of energy, you know, rough and tumble, which I think

in a game like this, you know, the heat was on this. This was intense this evening. And the onto the pitch, but I liked it. He got involved, he made things happen. He created a bit of, you know, bite around the players. It might've sparked his teammates into a little bit more action as well. And yeah, I had no complaints about it. What do you make of that, Aaron? Is that what Manchester United need a bit more of? A bit more fire in the belly? No, 100% is right there.

Like I said, Mesa Mount coming in, a couple of tackles, he gets up, a little push in, and that's what you need. You need this in the middle of the park. You're coming away from home, it's a quarter-finals, it's a massive game and you're going to have to dig in, you're going to have to make tackles and you need that, especially in the middle of the park. And I was actually really happy to see Mason Mount back in the game because he's a top player and if Man United could get him fit,

I really think he fits into the system. So that was another positive actually, Mason Mount being back on the pitch. Well, we can hear from Ruben Amorim now and from the very start of the press conference in Lyon he faced difficult questions about Andre Onana's performance. I know you're going to defend Andre Onana but sometimes surely you have to say that a player, I know he doesn't want to but he's made mistakes, it's cost you both goals right, so therefore it's difficult to defend?

It can happen. If you play football and you play a lot of games you can make mistakes. If you look at the season I make more mistakes than them during these last games and during these last months. So that can happen. The good thing is that we have one more game to change everything. So that should be our focus. Do you think the spat with Matij beforehand caused Andre to be a little bit distracted and concerned about the crowd getting out because of this? I don't know. That can happen. The best thing is to look at the goals and all the actions that Andre has had in the game. To talk with Vital

and Craig. This is the best way to help any player. To focus on the game, what happened, we need to improve and then put the player again. You said you hadn't spoken to Andre yet. When you do speak to him, what are you going to say? Nothing. We have training, go with Vital and and we deal with that. I'm really natural, that can happen with any player. There's nothing I can say to Andre at this moment that will help him. The most important thing is to be natural and then when the time comes I will choose the best XI to play but I'm really confident in Andre. full commentary of the second leg of this tie on Five Live next Thursday. But some night at Ibrox, Ailey Parber was there for us and Ailey, we had your

reports throughout the evening on Five Live. A thrilling game and but yet no goals. Absolutely incredible and after defeats to the likes of Queen's Park, St Mirren and Motherwell in a run of five losses in a row at home, Rangers find a way, despite being down to ten from the 13th minute onwards, to hold one of the favourites in this Europa League to a goalless draw and keep the tie wide open. It wasn't always pretty, but it was a real collective effort and a really impressive defensive display. They were breached, substitute Alex Beringwer forcing the ball over the line for it to be disallowed for

offside, but also in the build-up a handball, so a second chance for Beringer forcing the ball over the line for it to be disallowed for offside but also in the build up a handball so a second chance for Beringer from the penalty spot but Liam Kelly who was preferred tonight to Jack Butland in goal denied him with a save. The teams walked out at the start of the game to a huge tifo behind the goal of the trophy and the words I'm still dreaming. Well these Rangers fans definitely still are. They didn't do it the easy way tonight Rangers, down to 10 so early on but from what you're reporting Ailey's still creating better chances in that first half then they went through a period of sort of clinging on and we've been speaking about the Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onala but for Liam Kelly you, you're given an opportunity.

That's how you take it. Absolutely. A lovely moment at the end as well where Jack Butland, who you must be wondering, what is he thinking in that dugout? He walked over to Liam Kelly on the full-time whistle and he just gave him a huge big hug. And it was a lovely moment between the two goalkeepers. But what a night for Liam Kelly. He has played a few games this season when Butland was injured,

but his only European experience came in a conference league qualifier when he was at Motherwell, a few seasons back against Sligo Rovers. So this is a huge night for him in terms of his domestic football career. He is a Scotland international, but great save from him. And it was just such a collective effort for Rangers.

They've really struggled domestically but when it comes to European football they just seem to find a way and it was backs to the wall in that second half but in the first half like you say they had a couple of opportunities, a really good one, that Serial Desters kind of created themselves just turning, swiveling and striking the ball just past the post but it was a pretty much all possession to the visitors in that second half but Rangers they put bodies on the line they weathered that storm and they looked a collective unit which a few days ago at the weekend as they lost here to Hibernian they certainly did not look

like that there's been some tough conversations this week but they've gone out there tonight and they put on a really really strong performance. So Rangers go to Bilbao for the second leg and they'll hope, Ailey, it's the first of two visits to that city because Bilbao hosts the final of this competition from this position, nil, nil, as every chance Rangers can progress. You cannot count Rangers out when it comes to European football. It's quite incredible the difference between them in Europe and when they play domestically. They have had a couple of victories against Celtic in their last two meetings

with them, but to lose to some of the teams that they have lost to this season, that is why they are 13 points behind in terms of the league title. It's not because they've been losing to Celtic. It's because they've been losing to any everyone else. But yet they go into Europe, knock out Fenerbahce over two legs. They had a big win against Nice. They had to draw against Tottenham here. They've done really well in Europe. And when the pressure is off them and when teams come out and don't sit in deep,

Rangers find a way defensively to be strong and to be stable, but to also try and create a threat on the other side, playing on the break. That is how this Rangers team seems to find success. And in Europe, they are able to do it. They got all the way to the final just three seasons ago There is nothing that would suggest that that can't happen again, which seems Absolutely crazy considering their league performance considering they're going to end the season domestically without a trophy

But this Rangers team on a Thursday night anything can happen Absolutely, so nil nil for Rangers going into their second leg in northern Spain and the winner of that tie plays the winner of Leon and Manchester United's second leg at Old Trafford, that one 2-2. The Football Daily Podcast. I'm Ian Dennis, John Murray, Ali Bruce Ball and myself are five live football commentators. We'll be hosting and getting together on a new podcast on the Football Daily Feed. Bringing our own insight into what it's like being in the commentary box and in the media areas.

If anyone's tuned in for this, wondering what commentators we're going to talk about and thought it might be a little bit geeky, then they've got exactly that in the first five minutes of it. From Wembley to Wrexham and from Bradford to the Burnabout, the commentators' view on the Football Daily Feed. Listen on BBC Sounds. On the Football Daily Podcast, the debrief. A captivating evening filled with energy chances but ultimately the spoils shared. The visitors were ahead early when Hugo Ekiteke was given far too much space and fired home from distance.

Big concerns for Big Ange, so fresh into his side's biggest game of the season. But Spurs responded, willed on by a crowd who knew the season's narrative could be defined by tonight's events. The equaliser was delightful. Pedro Poro with the back heel from Madison's cut back. Neither side could force a winner, Spurs will rue their luck as Bergvall and then Bentoncourt hit the crossbar. A second leg in a week promises much but Spurs will feel this was a chance missed.

Well, thanks very much, Henry. So Tottenham level, but will they need more than that going into the second leg? Aaron Leonard, former Spursurs player you were watching what what did you make of the performance from Angepasta Koglou's team? First off I thought that was really flat obviously they go down really early, you can see that Madison gives the ball away in the middle of the park and it's a lovely goal from Frankfurt it's a great finish he comes inside and he bends it into the far corner but then they got themselves into the game Madison again involved but this time for the better he gets down puts the lovely pullback and Poro with a lovely back heel

flick to get him back in the game but after that you wanted him to kick on they didn't really kick on until the second half they came out the second half they upped the tempo there was a lot better they had a lot of great chances Bergvall hits the bar Bentononcourt hits the bar, Son has a great chance when he comes inside, van der Ven misses one towards the end with a header, so I think they'll be disappointed overhauled to not go into the second leg with a lead, but it's not the worst result. Yeah, the early goals have been a feature of Ange Postocoglu's time in charge of the club, Spurs score a lot of early goals, they concede a lot of early goals and they'll have been disappointed the

nature of that. It was only the fifth minute wasn't it that Spurs were 1-0 down. Yeah and like you said you're coming home you want the fans you want to get the fans behind you and like you said it's been really flat that stadium of late and like you said to give a goal so early like you said Madison sloppy in possession and like I said and they get punished but like I said there was a response but they've got to cut out these mistakes like you said Spurs are not the sides who can just keep coming back from being a goal down. There was much better in the second half and there's still a lot to play for.

I still believe that Spurs can go out there and win the game. There's a lot of similarities between Tottenham Hotspur's situation and that of Manchester United where this competition, the Europa League, could be the thing that saves the season and we still, Aaron, have the chance of an all-English final. They could be playing each other in Bellbow in May. No, 100 per cent. It's been a dreadful season. They've had a lot of injuries. There's been a lot going on, but it's been not good enough. I suppose a too big a club, the players they have, the talent they have there to lose 16 games a season is not big enough. And this could save them. If you can go on and win this competition, get yourself into Champions League, this could save you season.

And I would be very surprised if he doesn't arrest a lot of them players come the weekend. Man United, they're thinking the same also. So, like I said, Spurs Man United, it could be the final. Well, you know, it's been a funny season for Tottenham. They have had little moments of brilliance. They've had a lot of moments of misery. But I guess this situation now, Old Square going into the second leg of a quarterfinal of a European competition, it's the kind of thing that can can gel them together a little bit.

I believe and I'm told that there was no anti-Daniel Levy chance being sung in the stadium tonight. Does that signify, do you think, that maybe they're uniting behind the positivities for the moment, at least as long as they still have the hope of this trophy? Yeah, 100%. Like I said, if they would have got beat tonight, I think there would have been a lot of unhappy Spurs fans. The fans will stick with this team, they always have done, but the players have to give them something. They have to give them performances and they've got to be better. Like I said, but this competition is and they've got to be better.

But this competition is what they're holding on to now. The league, they're nowhere near it, they're miles off it. There'll be a lot of changes come the weekend and they've got to go for it next week. Let's hear it from the Tottenham Hotspur manager. Here's Ange Foster-Codlough. Yeah, I thought the performance in general was really, really good by the boys. You know, obviously conceded early, which wasn't ideal. And, you know, it was a fair strike by the boys. We obviously conceded early which wasn't ideal and it was a fair strike by the lad and I thought our response to that was really good. We stayed in control, we scored a good equaliser and we made them work hard

in the first half so we kind of knew that second half without ability to break teams open we put them under pressure and it's exactly what happened and the boys did everything right. I can't ask any more of them. I think we've been to Crossbar three times and Kepa's pulled off some amazing saves and it's like they've had a couple of good opportunities as well so on any other night we'd have a comfortable victory but you know I still think if we can perform like that over there and there's no reason why we can't then we'll still give ourselves a good chance. So there's Anshposta Kuklu after Tottenham's 1-1 draw at home in the Europa League quarterfinal

first leg against Eintracht Frankfurt. They will do it again next week as will Rangers in Bilbao, as will Manchester United at home against Lyon and it's going to be a big night next Thursday. We'll bring you all the best of the action on BBC Radio 5 Live. Thanks very much for Izzy Christiansen's involvement in the Football Daily podcast this evening for Aaron Lennon too. Thank you for listening and next up on the Football Daily podcast it is the Commentators View where I'll be joining John Murray, Andy and Dennis to discuss everything from what's been a busy week in the world of commentating. Bye for now. world of commentating. Bye for now.

A new series of Match of the Day Top 10 is out now, only available on BBC Sounds. Join myself, Garry Lineker, Alan Shearer, Micah Richards and my dog as we dig into the Top 10 of the Champions League. We go through our favourite goalscorers, best moment and even our all-time 11s. Now that, gentlemen, is a list. No, well, he didn't get on the list. Correct. He didn't get on the reserve list. You can listen right now on BBC Sounds.