According to coach Erik Ten Hag, assistant Steve McClaren gave instructions to goalkeeper Andre Onana before the penalty save in Man Utd's win over Copenhagen in the Champions League.
In the seventh minute of injury time at Old Trafford, as Jordan Larsson prepared to take a penalty for Copenhagen, McClaren approached the technical area to give instructions to Onana.
Onana then flew to the left to block the penalty, securing a 1-0 win for Man Utd. "Steve's job is to give Andre advice, coaching and guidance," said coach Ten Hag after the win on October 24. "And then, of course, Andre has to decide."
The Dutchman is also pleased that Onana is starting to show the personality he had at Ajax and Inter before. Last season, the Cameroonian goalkeeper was instrumental in helping Inter reach the Champions League final. Ten Hag also recalled Onana's performance in the 2-1 Premier League win over Sheffield United last weekend, stopping a counter-attack by Copenhagen just after half-time. "Don't forget, one of the skills Andre is very good at is stopping penalties," he added.
Onana (blue shirt) saves Larsson's penalty in the 90+7 minute of the match Man Utd 1-0 Copenhagen. Photo: EFE
Regarding this match, Ten Hag admitted that Man Utd had a narrow escape, and said that the first half was not good because Copenhagen was well organized, while Man Utd was slow to get into the rhythm. But in the second half, the home team's play improved, and they found the opening goal thanks to a header from center-back Harry Maguire in the 79th minute.
Ten Hag said he was happy because the team pressed better, deployed, converted and created more chances. The Dutch coach also praised the spirit of the players, saying they were showing solidarity by fighting and sharing joy together. "If there are difficulties, the players support each other. That spirit is always necessary for the team to be successful," Ten Hag added.
This was Man Utd's first win in Group A, after losing 3-4 to Bayern and 2-3 to Galatasaray. In the previous two matches, Onana - who joined Man Utd in the summer for $55 million - made mistakes that led to defeat.
Man Utd are currently third in Group A with three points. Bayern lead with nine points, Galatasaray are second with four, and Copenhagen have one point. Man Utd need to get good results in their last three games, away at Copenhagen, at Galatasaray and at home against Bayern. Otherwise, Ten Hag's team could be eliminated in the group stage.
Thanh Quy (according to Metro )
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