Update: Nemanja Matic sends new Man United message after Andre Onana Europa League controversy News

Nemanja Matic was involved in a back-and-forth before Lyon’s Europa League exit to Manchester United

Former Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has described Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes as ‘legends’ after their encounter prior to Lyon’s dramatic Europa League exit. The Serbian watched on from the touchline as Ruben Amorim’s stage a late comeback to beat the French side 5-4 and book their place in the semi-final.

The two sides couldn’t be separated after the first-leg in France after Rayan Cherki scored a last-gasp equaliser, capitalising from Andre Onana’s mistake. It was a difficult evening for the shot-stopper as he failed to keep out Thiago Almada’s free-kick.

The Cameroon goalkeeper was the subject of scrutiny prior to the two-legged encounter after entering a war of words with the ex-United midfielder Matic, which led to jeers for Onana throughout the tie.

Onana remained the focus of the second-leg after returning to the first-team after he was left out of the squad that suffered a 4-1 defeat to Newcastle United, with Altay Bayindir deputising between the sticks.

Matic was seen sharing an embrace with both Ferdinand and Scholes who formed TNT Sport’s broadcast team for the second-leg.

On Instagram, almost a week after the encounter, he posted to his story: “Legends,” tagging the pair alongside a picture with the trio smiling and sharing an exchange.

The war-of-words began after Onana claimed that United were better than Lyon ahead of the first-leg. “I think we are better than them, we just have to go there and show who we are,” he said.

36-year-old Matic reacted: “I don’t know, to say that, you need to have cover for something like that. Onana? Pfttt.

“You know, I respect everyone, but to say that, then you need to give an answer. If you are one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United history, you need to take care of what you’re talking about.

‌”If David de Gea, Peter Schmeichel or Edwin van der Sar say that, I would question myself, but if you are statistically one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United modern history, then he needs to show that before he says, so we will see.”

Onana hit back and claimed that his comment were not made to disrespect the French giants, while poking fun at Matic and his lack of silverware at Old Trafford.

“I would never be disrespectful to another club,” he responded. “We know that tomorrow will be a difficult game against a strong opponent. We focus on preparing a performance to make our fans proud. At least I’ve lifted trophies with the greatest club in the world. Some can’t say the same.”

—

Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.

And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.