Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana expressed disappointment with the 1-1 draw against Fenerbahce in the third round of the Europa League group stage, preventing the team from improving its standing on the leaderboard.
Playing away in Turkey, Manchester United took the lead in the 15th minute with a goal from Christian Eriksen, but Youssef En-Nesyri equalized just four minutes into the second half. Onana made outstanding saves to help United secure a point, blocking two impressive shots from En-Nesyri. However, he noted that the dressing room atmosphere was “not very cheerful.”
“This result is a big disappointment for me and the fans. As a Manchester United player, we have the duty to strive for victory. We didn’t win, but at least we didn’t lose. Of course, it’s not satisfying, but we’ll take responsibility for this outcome and keep pushing forward in the next game.”
“We conceded early in the second half, but we showed resilience, and I think that was evident in our performance today. We didn’t win, but I believe we played better than them,” Onana told TNT Sports.
Against Fenerbahce, Onana quickly stood out with an exceptional performance. His dive to parry En-Nesyri’s header and his swift jump to block a follow-up attempt by the same striker earned him a 7/10 rating from Goal.com, placing him just behind Manuel Ugarte (8/10) and making him United’s second-highest-rated player in the match.
After three games, United has only three points and currently sits 21st on the Europa League 2024/25 group stage standings. If they fail to improve their standing to reach the Top 8, they will have to compete in a playoff for a spot in the tournament’s round of 16.