Analysis: Andre Onana’s Huge Mistake against Viktoria Plzen

Manchester United came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Viktoria Plzen in an Europa League match. The first half was uneventful, with neither team able to find their rhythm, ending 0-0 at halftime. Viktoria Plzen took advantage of an error early in the second half when Andre Onana’s illogical pass was intercepted, allowing Matěj Vydra to score.

After the goal, Ruben Amorim made some substitutions to try and turn it around. Rasmus Højlund, who came in the 56th minute, was crucial as he scored a brace. His first goal came from a close-range shot after a great run by Amad Diallo, while the winner was a goal following a quick free-kick taken by Bruno Fernandes.

But in this article, we will take a look at Andre Onana’s mistake, which was the biggest lowlight of United’s performance and a huge individual error.

Lissandro Martinez Wants to Switch Up the Build-Up

The entire play started with Lissandro Martinez being chased down United’s left wing and retreating. Onana was the only passing option for the defender, as United were man-marked in their own half with the only exception being Noussair Mazraoui on the opposite flank. Lissandro Martinez could not possibly turn around with an opposing player on his back and make that long ball to Mazraoui, so he took the safest approach to pass it to the keeper.

The interesting part is that Lissandro Martinez spotted Mazraoui on the wing as the most logical option to continue the play. So his intention was to send it to Mazraoui on the opposite side through Onana. His intention is obvious when you look at his body language.

Onana Takes a Bit Too Much Time

Ideally, Onana would receive the ball on the half-turn and directly pass it to Mazraoui, or take a touch into space laterally and then send it. But Onana took a touch and then took his time, ending up in the following situation.

Vasulin was sitting in between Martinez and de Ligt, waiting. Vydra started closing down on Onana, and Pavel Sulc started sprinting towards de Ligt. More importantly, Vydra closed down on Onana with a curved run, which cut the passing lane towards Mazroui. So by the time Onana was ready to distribute the ball, the option to pass it on the right wing was gone.

All Passing Lanes Are Now Closed

Ideally, Onana would receive the ball on the half-turn and directly pass it to Mazraoui, or take a touch into space laterally and then send it. But Onana took a touch and then took his time, ending up in the following situation.

Vasulin was sitting in between Martinez and de Ligt, waiting. Vydra started closing down on Onana, and Pavel Sulc started sprinting towards de Ligt. More importantly, Vydra closed down on Onana with a curved run, which cut the passing lane towards Mazroui. So by the time Onana was ready to distribute the ball, the option to pass it on the right wing was gone.

At this moment, the only solution would be to go long and clear the ball, as there are no viable options for a short pass to start the build-up. But Onana passes to de Ligt. So there is no wonder that the pass was intercepted by Sulc and Vydra started an underlapping run centrally in the box, to make himself available for a cutback.

Conclusions

Andre Onana’s costly error against Viktoria Plzen highlighted a key weakness in United’s build-up play. His hesitation and poor decision-making under pressure allowed the opposition to capitalize, putting the team in a precarious position. While United recovered to secure victory, the incident emphasizes the need for more decisive and precise distribution from the goalkeeper to avoid similar mistakes in the future.