Key events
6 min: It’s fast-paced but scrappy. Both sets of fans continue to give it plenty.
4 min: Mikautadze tries to release Almada into the United box down the left, but Mazraoui isn’t having any of it.
3 min: Maguire bangs into Cherki in the old-fashioned you-now-know-I’m-here style. The crowd enjoyed that.
2 min: A little smoke from the pre-match pyro party still floating about. A couple of early touches for Onana. Casemiro has the opportunity to send Dorgu into space down the left but overcooks the pass and clanks it out for a throw.
A blast of John Denver, then Lyon get the ball rolling, with the aggregate score 2-2 after the first leg. The hosts are kicking towards the Stretford End in this first half.
The teams are out! Manchester United – the Red Devils – in their famous red shirts; Olympique Lyonnais – the Kids – in white with tricolour-completing trim. The Lyon fans have been making plenty of ear-splitting noise, and United’s home support are responding in kind with some bedlam of their own. A glorious racket. And a new tifo – NEVER GONNA STOP – featuring legends various lifting European trophies for United. Rio, Peter, Bryan, Wayne and Sir Bobby, seeing you asked. We’ll be off once pennants have been exchanged, hands clasped and coins tossed.
Ruben Amorim speaks to TNT Sports. “We did well in France … we also can do better … we have some players that cannot start … so you need to think about every possibility … extra time … every situation of the game … Onana just needs to focus on doing a good game … he is professional … our player and in our starting XI … they will change something … more or less the same approach but we’ll see … we need to be really smart … we have to be patient … cope with pressure … do a good game.”
… and if that doesn’t augur well enough … United have made it through on 14 of the 20 occasions they’ve drawn the first leg of a European knockout tie away. Furthermore, on the one occasion they’ve drawn the first leg away 2-2, in the 2022-23 Europa League against Barcelona, they went on to win the second leg 2-1. So, a 100% record in this exact situation then, which compares very favourably with Lyon’s own 100% record: the French club have lost on all nine of the previous occasions they’ve drawn the first leg of a European tie at home. History firmly on United’s side all right.
History is firmly on Manchester United’s side tonight. Lyon have visited Old Trafford on two previous occasions, and lost both times. In the Champions League groups in 2004-05, Ruud van Nistelrooy scored the winner in a 2-1 win, after Gary Neville’s opening goal had been cancelled out by Mahamadou Diarra. Three seasons later, in the 2007-08 Champions League round of 16, Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal was enough. Why not relive those matches with ye olde reports?
The first leg. Here’s a reminder of what happened this time last week, in both MBM and match-report form. Oh André.
Both sides name exactly the same starting XIs as they did last week at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais. United’s bench is the same, as well, save the absence of the hamstrung Joshua Zirkzee.
The teams
Manchester United: Onana, Mazraoui, Maguire, Yoro, Dalot, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu, Garnacho, Fernandes, Hojlund.
Subs: Bayindir, Heaton, Lindelof, Mount, Eriksen, Shaw, Mainoo, Amass, Moorhouse, Kamason, Kukonki.
Lyon: Lucas Perri, Maitland-Niles, Mata, Niakhate, Tagliafico, Tolisso, Akouokou, Veretout, Cherki, Almada, Mikautadze.
Subs: Descamps, Diarra, Lacazette, Fofana, Tessmann, Abner Vinicius, Kumbedi, Omari, Matic, Caleta-Car.
Referee: Sandro Scharer (Switzerland).
Preamble
In a calm and rational world, all that’s up for grabs for Manchester United tonight is a place in the Europa League semi-final against either Athletic Club of Bilbao or Rangers. But that’s not the reality of the situation, and so the quarter-final, first-leg visit of Lyon could have big repercussions going forward for under-fire goalkeeper André Onana, under-pressure manager Ruben Amorim, and under-performing … well, you get the gist, we could be here all night. Should United get knocked out this evening, expect plenty of external brouhaha for the next few hours/days/weeks/months; United are the second-biggest soap opera based in Manchester, after all.
Look at it the other way, though. United played well in patches in Lyon, and that knowledge should stand them in good stead this evening. And if they get through, they’ll be just three matches from glory, more European silverware, and a place in next season’s Champions League. Game-changers all, and that’s before we’d get to vindication for goalkeeper, manager, etc., and so on. So yes, OK, perhaps there is more up for grabs for Manchester United tonight than just a place in the Europa League semi-final against either Athletic Club of Bilbao or Rangers. It’s a big one tonight. Kick-off is at 8pm BST. It’s on!
