Nemanja Matic has branded Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana “one of the worst in the club’s history” ahead of their Europa League quarter-final clash against Lyon on Thursday night.
It comes after Onana told reporters last weekend that he believes that, although the tie won’t be easy, United are “way better” than their French opposition.
Matic, who joined OL in January 2024, made 189 appearances for Manchester United during his five-year spell. The Serbian added that if David De Gea, Peter Schmeichel, or Edwin Van de Sar had made the same comments as Onana, then he would “question himself”.
The Cameroonian keeper told the press after the 0-0 Manchester Derby that his side’s season relies on winning the Europa League to be a success.
He continued: “If we go there (Lyon) with a winning mentality and we are focused, we stay compact together and we follow the game plan, we will be winning the game“.
United beat Real Sociedad to reach this stage, while Lyon bested Romanian side FC Steaua București. The last time these two sides met was in the 2007/08 Champions League—when United went on to lift the trophy.
How does Onana compare to De Gea?
The 29-year-old African keeper has had a turbulent start to his Manchester United career, often seeming error-prone and a liability at the back. In his 69 Premier League appearances he has kept just 18 clean sheets and has made four errors leading to goals.
In fact, last season United conceded 15 goals in the Champions’ League group stage across their six outings, which is a record for English clubs, with Onana often to blame.
While he’s won Premier League Save of the Month three times, Onana’s inconsistency has drawn criticism from fans and pundits alike.
David De Gea also often had rocky times at Manchester United but was still firmly considered one of the best keepers in the world during his prime. De Gea made 415 PL appearances for United, keeping 147 clean sheets and winning one League title, making 17 errors leading to goals.
It was his error-prone spell at the end of his United career that led to the club not offering him a contract extension after 22/23.
Then after a season off, De Gea joined Italian side Fiorentina in the summer of 2024 where he has rediscovered form, keeping 10 clean sheets in 28 games with a 74.1% save rate.
It is this form that has reignited the debate about if De Gea should rejoin United in the summer, with manager Ruben Amorim rumoured to be lining up a move for a new keeper after growing disappointed with Onana’s performances.