Call Europa (Quarts Aller): Almada, Onana, Mata … Les Tops/Flops D’Ol

Mathieu Warnier, media365: published on Thursday April 10, 2025 at 11:35 p.m.

Discover our tops and flops at the end of the draw between OL and Manchester United (2-2) this Thursday on the lawn of Groupama Stadium on the occasion of the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

Tops

Almada posed a problem

For his first tenure in the Europa League, Thiago Almada was able to respond. First scorer of the meeting on a free kick having trapped the entire defense of Manchester United, the Argentinian will never have counted his efforts to help his team in the offensive level. If he has sometimes been clumsy or if his template does not have it in front of the Manchester United rearguard, the former Botafogo player will have been one of the essential cogs of the Gones during this draw torn against the Red Devils.

Yoro Costaud

Lenny Yoro has chosen his moment to unlock his counter with Manchester United. The former defender of Lille remembered the good memories of French football with the equalization at the very end of the first period but, above all, he will have been able to be strong in the central defense with three chosen by Ruben Amorim. Effective in his interventions, the International Hoping Defender always confirms more that he is an indisputable holder on the side of the Red Devils since his return from injury, he who has experienced a beginning of history with Mu being obvious.

Cherki never gave up

Frustration could have won Rayan Cherki. Like the Lyon attack line, he long sought the solution to the defense of Manchester United. Clumsy in the face of the goal with any first two attempts that caught the framework, the international French hope has absolutely not resigned itself and this attitude paid at the very last moment. It was he who took advantage of a bad dismissal from André Onana to put the two teams tied before the return match. But, like his team, he will have to raise his tone to Old Trafford next week.

Flops

Onana did not silence criticism

André Onana had to prove on the ground. Strongly criticized by Nemanja Matic upstream of the meeting, the Cameroonian international goalkeeper did not give the best answers. Indeed, after having been trapped by the trajectory of the free kick of Thiago Almada on the opening of the OL scoring, the last bulwark of the Red Devils was not solid enough on a strike from Georges Mikautadze, returning the ball to Rayan Cherki for the in extremis of the Gones. Two errors that erase its solid interventions in the face of an often patraque Lyon attack.

Mata not solid enough

It is an oversight that could have cost OL. Author of a performance without too much relief throughout the game, Clinton Mata was taken back by Joshua Zirkzee on the second goal of Manchester United. The Angolan defender, who sometimes undermined his team with approximate reminders, did not need such an error of judgment. Fortunately for him, the Gones had the resources to pick up the score and keep their chances of qualification intact before the return match at Old Trafford.

Højlund Trop Transparent

If the Lyon attack was not in great shape, what about the performance of Rasmus Højlund. Once again, the Danish international striker was lonely at the forefront of the Manchester United attack with a handful of balloons to play and a single shot on the cage of Lucas Perri during the 63 minutes spent on the lawn. Dominated in duels by the Rhone defense, he gave way to Joshua Zirkzee for the end of the match with the Dutchman who put himself forward with a goal at the end of the game.