As Manchester United's defensive struggles persist throughout the season, one of the main figures bearing the brunt of the blame is goalkeeper Andre Onana. He was signed by the Red Devils during the summer from Inter to replace David De Gea in the net. Onana was expected to bring a more comfortable presence on the ball to help make Erik ten Hag's system work, creating a United team that can dominate possession and stifle the opposition.
Fast forward to witnessing five different left-backs in front of him, numerous center back pairings, and even rotations of defensive midfielders, Onana has had to act more as a sweeper-keeper than originally expected. Always aggressive in defense, this has sometimes led to him being caught out of position, resulting in easy goals being conceded. However, against Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday, the Old Trafford faithful were able to witness what Onana can bring to help secure a victory for the Red Devils.
Golazo Starting XI Newsletter
Get your Soccer Fix from Around the Globe
Your ultimate guide to the Beautiful Game as our experts take you beyond the pitch and around the globe with news that matters.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
Under pressure from Copenhagen throughout the game, Onana made four saves, but it was his final save that had the most significant impact. After Scott McTominay gave away his second penalty in as many games, Jordan Larsson stood at the spot. It was Onana who won the battle by saving the penalty with a well-timed touch with his arm. Following the match, Onana spoke to former United keeper Peter Schmeichel about the moment on CBS Sports' UEFA Champions League Today post-match show.
ONANA, WHAT'S HIS NAME?!
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 24, 2023
A HUGE PENALTY SAVE TO SECURE ALL THREE POINTS FOR MAN UTD! 🧱 pic.twitter.com/7qU8vfej7i
"For me, for the club, for the team, [the save] was important," Onana said following the match. "It was a really important victory for us in a difficult game against a very good team but the most important thing for us today was to win so I'm happy for the victory now we have to move on."
There's a lot to unpack about Onana's mentality. Not only is he saying what the victory means to United as a whole but the job also isn't done with a match against Manchester City looming over the weekend. It's easy to see how Onana has become a leader at the club and why even with the poor performances, it's easy to back him to improve and right the ship in net once United continues to get healthy.
Don't miss CBS Sports Golazo Network's Morning Footy, now in podcast form! Our crew brings you all the news, views, highlights and laughs you need to follow the Beautiful Game in every corner of the globe, every Monday-Friday all year long.
Even when Schmeichel called Onana a hero for his save, Onana immediately turned it back to the team.
"The hero tonight is Harry [Maguire], he scored a great goal for us and he gave us the victory today," Onana said.
With how much Maguire has gone through getting support like that from his teammates can go a long way and it's the little things like Onana going out of his way to ensure that the team is supported that can help United keep this good form going and create positivity.
From one Man Utd keeper to another.@Pschmeichel1 catches up with @AndreyOnana. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/NqSJdgWF80
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 24, 2023
Both he and the Red Devils need to work on consistency but the only way to string multiple Champions League victories together is by getting the first one. That has been done at home and now they'll need to go into Denmark and keep their form going and try to put the game away before stoppage time.