Manchester United and Lyon played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final clash at the Groupama Stadium on Thursday evening.
Read on as we look at five things we learned from the clash.
United’s encouraging start
United are often slow out of the blocks, but they began this game with real intent, creating the first clear-cut opportunity.
Despite generating a higher expected goals (xG) tally than the hosts in the opening stages, United fell behind due to a goalkeeping error.
However, they finished the first half strongly, with centre-back Leny Yoro scoring a deserved equaliser from a set-piece.
Rasmus Hojlund struggles to make an impact
Rasmus Hojlund endured a frustrating evening and was substituted for Joshua Zirkzee just after the hour mark.
The Danish striker missed a good opportunity to score in the first half, failing to hit the target.
Despite his attempts to offer a physical presence, the Lyon defence kept him quiet, and he recorded just 10 touches.
After scoring five goals in his first six appearances, Hojlund has now gone five games without scoring in the competition.
Bruno Fernandes provides set-piece threat
Set-pieces have not been United’s forte this season, but Fernandes’ delivery made a difference on the night.
Fernandes’ free-kick led to Yoro’s goal, and he nearly registered an assist when Casemiro came close with a header in the second half from his corner-kick.
The Portuguese midfielder’s ability to create from set-pieces could prove crucial in the return leg.
Andre Onana is unreliable
Former United midfielder Nemanja Matic described Andre Onana as ‘one of the worst goalkeepers in the club’s history’ before the game.
He failed to prove Matic wrong, as he was at fault for Lyon’s goals.
He misjudged Thiago Almada’s free-kick and fumbled Georges Mikautadze’s effort, which allowed Rayan Cherki to pounce for the second.
Since the start of last season, Onana has made more errors leading to goals than any other Premier League goalkeeper.
United show they can control matches
Man United have averaged more possession than any other side in the Europa League this season, and they again showed their dominance, particularly in the second half.
Although Lyon edged possession early on, United raised their intensity after the break, pressing higher and dictating the tempo.
Stats from transfermarkt.com, sofascore.com & OptaJoe
