Former Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has blasted Andre Onana, describing the goalkeeper as "one of the worst goalkeepers" in the club's history ahead of the highly anticipated first leg of the Europa League quarter-finals clash between Manchester United and Lyon.
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Ahead of Thursday night's first leg at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais, a confident Onana claimed that United are "way better" than Lyon said after Sunday's 0-0 draw against Manchester City.
"We all know the importance of this game, we will go there with the winning mentality," he told reporters. "We have to go there and show who we are. If we are focused, stay compact and together and follow the gameplan we will be winning the game. Of course, it’s not going to be easy, but I think we are way better than them."
Matić, who currently plays for Lyon, addressed Onana's remarks during his pre-match press conference on Wednesday. The Serbian midfielder sharply criticized Onana's performance since his arrival at United, questioning his record at the club.
"If you're one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United's history then you need to take care of what you are talking about. "If David De Gea, Peter Schmeichel or Edwin van der Sar said that I would question myself but if you are statistically one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United's modern history, he needs to show that before he says it."
Onana, who replaced David De Gea after joining Manchester United from Inter Milan for a fee reported to be around £47m, has faced significant criticism following a challenging start at Old Trafford since he arrived in 2023. The Cameroonian goalkeeper, who secured the FA Cup in his debut season with United, has hit back at Matic's critics by pointing out Matic's lack of silverware during his time at the club.
"I would never be disrespectful to another club. We know that [Thursday] will be a difficult game against a strong opponent. We focus on preparing a performance to make our fans proud. "At least I've lifted trophies with the greatest club in the world. Some can't say the same.
United will head to Lyon on Wednesday on the back of only four victories in their last 12 matches across all competitions. Their only hope of qualifying for next season’s Champions League now solely depends on clinching the Europa League title, intensifying the importance of Thursday’s game.
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