30 November 2023 , 09:24
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As many of the Manchester United players made their way back to the dressing room at full-time against Galatasaray, the cameras were fixated on just one Red Devil.
Goalkeeper Andre Onana couldn't quite bring himself to head in with the rest of his team-mates and instead, stood stationary on the rain-sodden turf clearly furious over his own performance. United made the trip to Turkey knowing a draw wouldn't do much for their cause, but that's what they came away with after a thrilling clash ended 3-3.
To add insult to injury, United boasted a two-goal lead on two separate occasions, but Onana's failings allowed the hosts to fight back and subsequently plunged the Red Devils' Champions League hopes into huge doubt. Erik ten Hag's side now need to win against Bayern Munich on matchday six to stand any chance of progressing into the knockout rounds.
With the odds stacked against them, Onana's reaction at the end of the game was understandable. The Cameroon international ripped off his gloves and threw them to the floor, before wildly gesticulating at himself as he walked towards the goal.
It was a night the United No.1 will wish to forget in a hurry. Onana will know he could have done better with Hakim Ziyech's first free-kick, which at the time made it 2-1 and offered Galatasaray hope after Ten Hag's men raced into a 2-0 lead. However, worse was to come.
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After Scott McTominay made it 3-1, United would have hoped that the strike would have thwarted any momentum their hosts were building. Few expected another Ziyech free-kick to somehow end up in the back of the net, but after Onana allowed the ball to squirm underneath his arm, it was 3-2 and game on.
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Andre Onana was devastated come full-time (TNT Sports)Less than 10 minutes later and Galatasaray were level, with Muhammed Kerem Akturkoglu curling a delightful effort beyond Onana, though the United keeper's positioning was called into question as he was beaten at his near post.
During his post-match media duties, Ten Hag addressed Onana and how he was feeling, but stopped short of blaming him for any of the goals United conceded. “He is OK," the United boss explained.
"It is not about an individual. Individual errors in football can make a difference and you take responsibility for it, but it is always about the team. We scored quickly after each other. It’s about the point when you are 2-0 up and you have to manage the game.
"It is not so easy when we give free-kicks away and we have to defend the free‑kicks better. Hakim is brilliant, I know that, and he is extraordinary. It is always about incidents and details and we can do better. We have to learn from it because as a team we are conceding too many goals and it is unnecessary and avoidable."