Lyon coach Paulo Fonseca: Man United's Andre Onana still a great goalkeeper
- Peter Kanjere
- 5 days ago
- 1 min read
Onana: Photo Credit: Manchester United FC media.
Olympique Lyon coach Paulo Fonseca has described error-prone Andre Onana as still ‘a great goalkeeper’ ahead of Thursday’s UEFA Europa quarterfinal, second leg match at Old Trafford.
The Cameroonian’s performance has been under heavy scrutiny after his errors gifted the French Ligue 1 side two goals in the 2-2 draw against United in the UEFA Europa League quarter final, first leg match last week.
However, Fonseca told Lyon media that he could not judge a player based on blunders describing them as part of the game, adding that his team’s focus was on the entire United squad.
"I think we have to be honest: Onana is a great goalkeeper. We focused on our game plan, on what we have to do on the pitch. That's how it is. These kinds of situations are normal in football. What we have prepared, both offensively and defensively, does not rely on just one player. I maintain that he is one of the best goalkeepers. I expect to face the best Manchester United, with the best players," he said.
Earlier, Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim confirmed that Onana will start against Lyon in their Europa League quarter-final second leg.
The 29-year-old custodian was dropped from the playing squad that lost 4-1 to Newcastle United in a Premier League match on Sunday. During the fixture at St. James’ Park, Altay Bayindir was preferred to start, but he, too, was far from convincing.