Harry Maguire, center forward. Who would have thought it?
Manchester United was dead and buried, two goals in this draw and collapsing from the Europa League in a calamitic manner, having been 2-0 in the night, 4-2 on the aggregates, thanks to the goals of Manuel Ugarte and Diogo Dalot.
“A capitulation … an embarrassment,” said former UNI defender of Rio Ferdinand on TNT Sports.
And then the most improbable collection of things happened to send United to a semi-final against the athletics club on May 1 and 8. Talk about the king of returns.
Lyon had leveled equality with two goals in six minutes – first Corentin Tolisso then Nicolas Tagliafico. And while a red card for Tolisso – given a second yellow after cutting Leny Yoro – provided a little hope, it was the French part that capitalized. First of all, the brilliant Rayan Cherki struck in the first half of the additional time, then Alexandre Lacazette scored the penalty after a foul by Luke Shaw.
But it was far from over. Bruno Fernandes withdrew one back from the penalty point, then came a cool strike from the replacement Kobbie Main, then blew up the Maguire front, a central defender by business, to keep a living united in this competition on one of the big European nights in Old Trafford.
Mark Crichley, Charlotte Harpur and Aantaajith Raghuraman resume their breath and discuss the main discussion points …
What does that mean to Manchester United?
Relief? Ecstasy? While the Premier League season of United was bad in worse, it quickly became obvious that it was Bilbao or Bust.
This sums up the dreary campaign of United which rolled up so much in Thursday evening. If you leave the United Bulle, it was equality in the quarterfinals of the Europa League against Lyon. Barely enormous heavy equality, in particular compared to some of this week’s Champions League games. But zooming and the consequences are important, especially after such a remarkable football game.
This is something for a UNI-Uni and a boost galvanizing essential confidence.
United easily produced one of their best performance in the first half this season before capitulating in the second half, making the pressure and missing the opportunity to go 3-0. Despite the fact of conceding four goals after half-time, they somehow removed it.
(Michael REGAN / UEFA via Getty Images)
If Unis had been knocked out, nothing left to save the season.
The most important thing for the club is the financial aspect. United could expect to earn around 85.8 million pounds sterling ($ 114 million) at least if they qualify for the Champions League next season by winning the Europa League for this season.
Of course, they still have a lot of hoops to jump. In the semi-finals, they will face the Liga Side Athletic Club, which beat the Rangers 2-0, but Thursday’s victory took them a crucial step in the final.
Charlotte Harpur
The most incredible European evening in Old Trafford?
This section was supposed to be an element of the reluctance of Ruben Amorim to make substitutions during what was supposed to be the key period of the game, when Lyon recovered two goals.
It criticized Amorim for not having changed things earlier. To wait for the 86th minute to finally bring Kobbie Mainoo and, when he did it, stick it forward.
This also criticized Mainooo, who looked naturally in a position he had played once before in his senior career.
And he deplored that the best plan of United when everything collapses around them is to apparently stick Maguire at the front. What a ridiculous situation.
120 – Manchester United is the first team in history to score two goals in the 120th minute in a major European match. Amorimtime. pic.twitter.com/d9vceb0wiq
– Optajoe (@optajoe) April 17, 2025
United did not have players on the field to save in more time, he said, and despite a man’s advantage, he had artificial to lose him.
And then Mainoo whipped this strike to equalize on the aggregates. And then Maguire guided this head inside the post to win. And this article was thrown out the window.
I wrote this one instead. And that sums up this game roughly, that night, the most incredible European opportunity in the history of Old Trafford.
Mark Crichley
Collective errors cost united on the back
You wondered if André Onana had learned something from last week when, after the opening of Ugarte, he turned, smiled and nodded towards the supporters of Lyon.
But the most important lesson he could take on the calamities of the first leg was not to leave his teammates again. He did not do it, although he was able to hope for a little more help from them.
Onana made several excellent stops – first to deny Cherki, bottom and downwards at a critical moment in the first half, just as Lyon was taking momentum.
There was a carbon copy to deny Tolisso at the beginning of the second too, which was just as impressive, and another of Ainsley Maitland-Niles which was not as easy as it seems.
(Images Martin Rickett / PA via Getty Images)
But with the pressure of pressure on United’s goal, he needed more help from those in front of him. Its defenders did not take responsibility for Tolisso. There was not much thanana could not do on this subject.
His positioning could be questioned for the second in Lyon, while Tagliafico’s shot slipped to the line before it could make a reactive backup. But again, Maguire or Yoro could have reacted faster to prevent the shooting from coming.
At least, there were not the individual errors of the first step for Onana. Just the collectives in front of him.
Mark Crichley
Lyon had no answers – until they do
Manchester United and attacker fluidity have rarely been pronounced in the same sentence this season. But the first half against Lyon saw them play some of their best attackers under Ruben Amorim, taking a step forward in the home game against Real Sociedad last month, which, Amorim, said “showed the future a bit”.
The first goal came from Fernandes by going to Dalot and by jogging forward, turning around and then sprinting to the left wing, leaving Paul Akouokou in his wake. The positioning of Dalot had pulled the Tagliafico left back near him and he returned to Ussair Mazraoui, whose first cut pass found Fernandes occupying the space that Tagliafico had left. Fernandes found Alejandro Garnacho, and his first touch led him after two defenders of Lyon at the signature.
While reducing the ball, Rasmus Hojlund fought with Moussa Niakhate, creating space in the box so that Manuel Ugarte meets and finished.
Manuel UGARTE MET UNITED (Simon Stacpole / Offside / Offside via Getty Images)
The second goal was simpler in its creation. The Maguire ball above was attacked by Dalot while Fernandes held his position. Tagliafico followed back but was easily exceeded by Dalot, who brought him home.
These are not the only occasions that United has disturbed Lyon with such long passes in the canals. Dalot played a similar pass on Tagliafico in Fernandes, who struck the crossbar with a stretch volley. On another occasion, Casemiro played a first pass over – similar to the pass to Fernandes which led Hojlund to win a penalty against Real Sociedad – in Ugarte, who races towards the same right channel to win a corner.
United combined intelligent movements out of the ball with a simple passage strategy and excellent execution in the first half, and Lyon had no answer – until they do it.
Anantajith Raghuraman
What said Amorim?
Addressing TNT after the match, United Manager said: “It was difficult. I watched the ’99 (victory in the Champions League) comment to draw inspiration for this moment. It was a great night. The team was tired, you could feel it during the game and then 4-2 with another player, and you think it’s over. But here it’s never over. Anything is possible.
On his submarines: “We tried to put Harry Maguire (at the front) because he is the only guy who can score a goal with his head. And then Kobbie Mainoo has a lack of rhythm at the moment because he had this injury and he stopped for a while. But he is really good in small spaces and then he has the ability to score this kind of goal.”
On players returning from the injury: “It’s really important because, when you are here, you can feel that playing Premier League and Europeans is really difficult. If you don’t have a full team, it’s almost impossible. Mason Mount brings us experience, Luke Shaw was supposed to play 30 minutes high, but we had a problem with the Nooux (Air Mazrai) at halftime, Vic (Tor Lindelof) has a personality problem, he had what it was during that lindelof) has a personality problem, he did what it was during that lindelof) Who had what it was during that Lindelolo game but, in the end, it was a good day. »»
On performance: “We started well, but we are not really consistent in maintaining the game in the same way for a long time. When I think the team is tired, we drop a lot. But we have experience now, we can defend ourselves quite well at the moment.
“We should do better with the two goals in Lyon, but that’s it. We have a lot to improve, but the character was there. ”
On the frustration of the inconsistency of his team: “Of course, because the reflection of the coach is in the league. You can be good in European games, but your reflection as a team is the league and we are underperforming. But we have to see the context. You can see that we lack a lot of features in our team. You want to move forward and make transitions (CHO), he is really tired, but you think he is the only one who can make transitions.
“When we play against European teams, you feel that we can face better. In the Premier League, we suffer a lot. It is completely different.”
On belief, this victory will provide: “Sometimes we just look at the tactical or physical aspect, but this kind of moment can change a lot in the minds of the players. We must be really focused on the Europa League, we sometimes have to take a risk with the children of the Premier League, and we must be difficult on this subject and the fans must understand that we want to focus on the Europa League.”
By winning the competition: “Yes, you can see it in the stadium. Everyone believes it is possible.”
What is the following for United?
Sunday April 20: Wolves (Home), Premier League, 2 p.m. UK, 9 a.m.
(Top Photo: James Gill / Danehouse / Getty Images)
