Copenhagen legend eats his words after Andrè Onana’s Manchester United heroics
Jesper Christiansen has eaten his words after Andrè Onana’s Manchester United penalty save against Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.
Andrè Onana provided a crucial moment in Erik ten Hag‘s second season as Manchester United manager as he saved a penalty in the dying moments of the 1-0 win over FC Copenhagen.
Onana’s season has not been up to scratch so far, with the player drawing much criticism for some of his performances as Old Trafford‘s No.1, but Tuesday felt like a real turning point in the player’s season.
However, legendary Copenhagen goalkeeper Jesper Christiansen claimed before the tie that Onana isn’t better than Copenhagen’s shot-stopper, Kamil Grabara.
“Goalkeepers need to be a bit crazy; it gives an aura and presence from the backline. He plays with enormous confidence, and this is also because of his attitude,” Christiansen said of Grabara to SpilXperten.
“Furthermore, he is a fantastic shot-stopper, and he has a very high save percentage. Shots need to be of a very high quality to get past him. He gets in the way of a lot, and he is also good at parrying shots in the right places, even if he doesn’t save them all. He is very composed in his play, and he has many great saves. There is no doubt that Kamil Grabara is the better goalkeeper right now, that’s clear.”
“Onana has had a tough start at Manchester United, but it should be noted that he has played at a very high level for several years, performing at a high level in both Ajax and Inter (Milan), so you can’t take away that he is a good goalkeeper. It’s not just with his feet; he is also a really good goalkeeper. But yes, in terms of form, Grabara is better.”
This, of course, is now how the fixture panned out. Onana’s penalty saved ensured his clean sheet and United’s victory as Harry Maguire headed past Grabara to put the English club in front – Christiansen certainly ate his words during the game.