Manchester United are through to the semi-finals of the Europa League after an incredible 5-4 win over Lyon at Old Trafford.
After a game so topsy-turvy it is difficult to gauge whether Manchester United should be thrilled, or utterly bewildered at how the game, which looked so comfortable, managed to slip away from Ruben Amorim’s side.
At half time, United held a 2-0 lead, and it could have been double that at least if not for the age-old tale of the Red Devils showcasing appalling finishing in front of goal.
The second half began with frustrations as Alejandro Garnacho spurned the biggest chance of the game as he sat down a defender before shooting straight at the Lyon goalkeeper, showing his best and worst moments in one fell swoop.
These missed chances proved costly as Lyon came back to score four unanswered goals, but it was far from over.
United won the game 5-4 in the end after a Lyon remontada was outdone by Amorim’s side scoring three in seven minutes at the end of extra time to end the tie 7-6 on aggregate and a game which will long be remembered by both fanbases.
While United will be the focus, Lyon deserves credit, and in particular, one of their players will surely have impressed Amorim.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty ImagesMUTV pundits rave over Rayan Cherki vs Manchester United
While United will have been focused on beating Lyon, inside the stadium somewhere, it wouldn’t be a shock if Christopher Vivell and Jason Wilcox were keeping a keen eye on Rayan Cherki.
Lyon’s star man, Cherki is wanted by United this summer, and his performance was well received by those covering the game on MUTV.
Reviewing the performance at half-time, David May began by mentioning Cherki as the big dangerman for Lyon.
“We’ve played great football, but Cherki… we’ve got to be careful. He’s going to be hot property come the end of the season. He made one 50-yard run and forced a great save at the end of it.”
After this, Jonny Evans’ wife and MUTV host Helen Evans chimed in with a welcome Lionel Messi-inspired nickname for Cherki.
“Turned into a little Messi, didn’t he!”, a comparison with which May nodded in agreement.
Finally, Wes Brown had his say on the talented forward, emphasising how talented he is.
“Their best chance came through Cherki, and you can’t be running like that past four or five players. He’s got the capability of doing that, he’s one of the brightest young stars in the world at the moment. There will be lots of teams looking at him this summer.”
Rayan Cherki has passed his Old Trafford audition
The MUTV crew were heavily endorsing Cherki, who United are seriously considering signing this summer. This came even before he grabbed a brilliant goal – his second of the tie – which saw him hit the bottom corner from outside the box.
Before this two-legged tie, it was tipped as being the biggest game of Cherki’s young career, with most of Europe no doubt watching to see how he fared on the big stage.
The 21-year-old passed his Old Trafford audition with flying colours as he grabbed his 12th goal of the season making it 30 goal contributions in all competitions, and terrorised the United back-line all game long.
The France U21 star is available for just £25m this summer, which is a real bargain in this market. This performance just proved it is one the club needs to complete.