Manchester United Star Joshua Zirkzee has strongly defended Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana, calling the criticism aimed at him after Thursday’s Europa League clash with Lyon “ridiculous.”
Onana was at fault for both Lyon goals in the 2-2 quarter-final first-leg draw in France. He was beaten by Thiago Almada’s free-kick and later parried a shot directly into the path of Rayan Cherki, who equalized in stoppage time.
The match followed a tense build-up, sparked by Onana’s claim that United were “way better” than Lyon—a comment that drew a scathing response from Lyon’s Nemanja Matic. The former United midfielder labeled Onana “one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United’s history,” adding fuel to an already heated encounter.
Despite the blunders, United manager Ruben Amorim stressed team unity, saying, “One player has a mistake, all the team has a mistake.” Substitute Zirkzee, who had briefly put United ahead with an 88th-minute goal, echoed that sentiment.
“Absolutely. We’re one team—we don’t single people out for making mistakes. That’s ridiculous,” Zirkzee said when asked about the squad’s support for Onana.
Looking ahead, Onana is expected to face more scrutiny when United travel to Newcastle on Sunday. Still, Zirkzee remains optimistic.
“It hurts to draw like that, especially after leading so late. But now the focus shifts to Newcastle,” he said. “Then we’ll be back home for the second leg against Lyon, and with our fans behind us, we’ll be ready. Lyon are a strong side, so it won’t be easy—but we want to win, and we know we have to.”
With the Premier League campaign falling short of expectations, United’s hopes of lifting silverware now rest solely on their Europa League journey.
“We have to win it, we all know that,” Zirkzee added. “There’s no other option—it’s our last shot at a trophy this season.”
