Manchester United must be aware of one Lyon player after a “superb” display ahead of their second-leg Europa League clash this week.
It was a 2-2 draw between Manchester United and Lyon in the first-leg in France last week and the Europa League quarter-final clash will be decided at Old Trafford on Thursday.
Ruben Amorim’s side have had less than ideal preparation for the game. A 4-1 defeat against Newcastle was made worse by Joshua Zirkzee suffering injury.
Meanwhile, Lyon were able to produce a dominant performance against Auxerre on the weekend and win 3-1, which has moved kept them fourth in the Ligue 1 table.
While the Premier League offers United very little until the end of the season, the Reds have to use it as a confidence builder for these Europa League games.
Instead, United now need to pick themselves up after a terrible display while their French opponents, including some dangerous individuals, will be full of confidence.
Cherki delivers “superb” 8/10 display ahead of United clash
Rayan Cherki was one of Lyon’s best players against United last week and provided some strong words to the media afterwards. He assured that they won’t come to defend at Old Trafford and sent a dig to Andre Onana.
It was the French youth international who scored the last-minute equaliser at the Groupama Stadium and he has continued his impressive form heading into the second-leg.
Cherki scored the second goal for his side in their 3-1 win and also created four chances, more than any other player in the game.
He also completed 52 passes, 10 of which were played into the final third and received an 8/10 rating from Get French Football News.
They described the display of Cherki as “superb” as he reached 11 goals in all competitions for the season. He also has 18 assists in that time.
“After an impressive performance in midweek, the French playmaker was once again involved in everything positive for his side,” the French outlet wrote.
“His choice of pass and calmness in advanced areas to make the right decision were superb, and the effortless finish for his goal was out of the top drawer.”
United must be prepared for Cherki threat
United will be trying to focus on themselves ahead of the second-leg clash but they have to be aware of the threat Cherki possesses.
They managed to limit his influence for the most-part last week but the 21-year-old still ended up producing the all-important equaliser for his side.
Some reports say that United are interested in signing Cherki in the summer and that doesn’t seem like a bad idea considering his form this season and performance in the first-leg.
However, right now, it seems like United’s best way to limit his influence is by keeping the ball and making him do the side of the game he isn’t keen on – defending.
The Reds also struggled to follow their runners in defeat to Newcastle and made defensive mistakes. That cannot happen against Lyon because Cherki and his teammates will punish Amorim’s side.
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