Manchester United fell behind 1-0 to Bayern Munich in their Champions League opener thanks to a costly error by Andre Onana.
Rio Ferdinand has slammed Andre Onana for causing a “nightmare scenario” for Manchester United with a costly error in their Champions League opener against Bayern Munich.
Onana let Leroy Sane’s seemingly innocuous shot slide beneath him and into the net, giving Bayern a 1-0 lead only 28 minutes into the game. Sane connected with Harry Kane before striking with his left foot from just outside the penalty area.
The shot was very central and should not have presented a problem for Onana. The United custodian, though, fumbled it, diverting the shot into the corner. Before halftime, United fell behind 2-0 as Jamal Musiala’s excellent move set up an open Serge Gnabry, who hammered into the bottom corner.
Rio Ferdinand, a former Manchester United defender, slammed Onana during halftime on TNT Sports. “This is a nightmare scenario for Onana,” he remarked. We were impressed by several of his passes because he showed trust in his footwork. However, as a custodian, you are compensated for making saves.
“Sane’s set-up is excellent, but he doesn’t strike it with any real intent—it’s not placed in the corners, and Onana’s reaction afterward, he should have saved this.” He should have caught it and looked for his next pass because it was routine for him. It’s a serious mistake from which he must recover.”
Former Manchester United player Paul Scholes had a different take on the goal, blaming the entire team in front of Onana. “He knows he’s made a huge mistake,” he said. However, I believe there are other flaws with the purpose.
“I thought Manchester United played very well in the first half, but a few lapses in concentration and you’re down 2-0.” It’s a huge mistake on his behalf, and he needs to rebound and stay focused.”
“He simply has to stop that,” Owen Hargreaves said in his TNT Sports co-commentary. “I’m not sure if he wasn’t ready or didn’t get his feet set, but that ball should never have gone in.” Onana noticed it.
Onana joined United from Inter Milan in July for an initial fee of €51 million (£43.8 million), with an additional €4 million (£3.4 million) possible in add-ons. Erik ten Hag, the United manager, brought in the Cameroon international for his ability to build up play from the back, but he has already made a few fundamental errors.
In the opening Premier League match of the season against Wolves, he was fortunate not to be penalized for punching striker Sasa Kalajdzic rather than the ball.
His shaky start at United has come after Ten Hag expressed his confidence in Onana’s ability to make a significant impact. “The most important thing for a goalkeeper is clean sheets, and he’s not achieving that on his own,” Ten Hag remarked after signing Onana. “Therefore, you need a very well-organized defense, that’s quite clear. But a goalkeeper’s capabilities also include keeping the goal clean. So the primary criterion for a good goalkeeper is this.”
