Manchester United return to Europa League action this week with plenty of noise off the pitch threatening to steal the spotlight.
As Ruben Amorim prepares for the quarter-final first leg against Lyon, his team remains unbeaten in Europe this season.
United have scored in every Europa League match to date, with 21 goals from 10 games showing a level of consistency they haven’t been able to replicate domestically.
Despite Amorim’s impact, United still sit 13th in the Premier League and have struggled to control matches in England’s top flight.
The manager believes European football suits his squad’s tempo and style more than the physical, high-speed nature of the Premier League.
But all attention shifted away from tactics this week as tensions flared between Andre Onana and former United midfielder Nemanja Matic.
Nemanja Matic, who now plays for Lyon, unleashed a scathing verbal attack on the United goalkeeper, branding him “one of the worst goalkeepers in the history of Manchester United.”
The comment came in response to Onana’s confident claim that United are “way better” than their French opponents — a quote which made headlines in both England and France.
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Onana quickly defended himself, posting on social media: “I would never be disrespectful to another club… At least I’ve lifted trophies with the greatest club in the world.
“Some can’t say the same.”
While the FA Cup winner took the high ground publicly, the jab at Matic’s trophyless United spell was impossible to miss.
Amorim, a former teammate of Nemanja Matic at Benfica, moved to calm the situation by clarifying Onana’s full remarks.
“If you see the full quote of Andre Onana, it’s quite different.
“The first sentence is, ‘Lyon is a very, very good team,’” Amorim said.
He insisted that the war of words stemmed from a misunderstanding: “I know Matic also, he’s a great guy… tomorrow is gonna be a normal game.”
Amorim also praised Onana’s leadership and presence, stating: “Sometimes our group has to show confidence in our team, that’s all.”
Onana is expected to start against Lyon, while Altay Bayindir returns to the bench following injury.
With United’s European run intact and tensions high, Amorim will hope his squad can silence the noise with another big result on the pitch.
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Source: Centred Devils
