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Like Manchester United, Andre Onana combines the extraordinary with the agonizing. |
More than any other player, Andre Onana has shaped Manchester United's Champions League run.
He stood by himself in his penalty area, hands on his hips, after the final whistle at Galatasaray's Rams Park stadium, signaling the end of a wild 3-3 draw. He then threw his gloves to the ground and clutched his face. This scene in Europe has become all too familiar to him.
This season, Onana has been an interesting blend of amazing and agonizing in the Champions League. There have been last-minute penalty saves and pirouettes on the halfway line, but these instances have been paired with an all too common inclination to let goals slip through that you would expect him to stop. It's been exciting but disorganized, just like United's current season.
In the Champions League so far, United has given up 14 goals. With 15 goals conceded in five games, Antwerp is the only team in Group H with a poorer record.
Onana, whose style has always brought some risk, was once again under observation away to Galatasaray in a match that United could not afford to lose.
Alejandro Garnacho scored United's first goal after Onana passed the ball out from the defense. When Erik ten Hag made the decision to let David de Gea go as a free agent and bring in the former Inter Milan star in his stead, this is probably what he had in mind.
Ten Hag would have been licking his lips, but almost everyone else would have been holding their breath when Onana appeared on the halfway line during the first half, casually turning away from his opponent before spraying a pass out to Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the right wing.
The United manager praised his team's offensive display, calling it "dynamic" and "brave." All three of their goals were of the highest caliber, but they were ruined by expensive mistakes made in the back, which has been the team's dominant theme throughout their Champions League campaign.
Regretfully, Onana has been at the center of it all.
He acknowledged his mistakes after United's 4-3 loss to Bayern Munich on the road in September, when the Cameroonian was directly responsible for the leaders of Group A's much too easy goal total.
He said, "I let the team down; we didn't win this game because of me."
After the Bayern Munich loss, Onana made an admission that impressed United because it demonstrated his strength of character. However, following United's most recent self-implosion, there was no similar acceptance of responsibility.
Hakim Ziyech scored his first goal from a free kick, catching Onana off guard and sending him scrambling in the wrong direction at first.
Regarding the second, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly what the 27-year-old was trying to do. Regardless of how you slice it, the impression that sticks in your mind is of him seemingly slapping it into his goal.
One could claim that Onana's positioning for Galatasaray's third goal, the equalizer scored by Kerem Akturkoglu, was incorrect since he left too much space between himself and his near post, where the strike was directed.
Another moment that made United supporters gasp was when Mauro Icardi was put in over the top and Onana stumbled backwards trying to make the save. Onana was lucky that his blushes were spared by the offside flag.
When questioned about United's overall performance, Bruno Fernandes—who was in charge of both of Ziyech's free kicks that were granted as a result of his unnecessary fouls—said, "We concede really bad goals." "Everyone needs to own up to their mistakes and accept responsibility for them."
In the rematch against Galatasaray, a 2-3 loss at Old Trafford, Onana made a mistaken pass that caused Casemiro to make a tackle that resulted in a penalty and the Brazilian's red card. Then, trying to salvage Icardi's shoddy effort, he collapsed.
After United's victory over FC Copenhagen at home, in which he denied Jordan Larsson with a last-minute penalty save before being surrounded by teammates, there was a feeling that he had turned a corner.
In stark contrast to his post-match interview in Germany, he remarked afterwards, "I was just doing my job, being calm, not under pressure and making myself big, waiting as long as possible and making the save."
Since 2018–19, Onana has committed seven mistakes in the Champions League that have resulted in goals by opponents, according to Opta. This is four more than Manuel Neuer of Bayern Munich, the next goalie on the list.
Due to Onana's costly errors in Europe, United must now defeat Bayern Munich in December in order to advance to the knockout stages. They must also hope that Copenhagen and Galatasaray draw their match.
Both his finest and worst performances were on display during his Istanbul appearance. Thought-provoking midfield play; the goalkeeping? Not in that way.
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