Andre Onana’s 16 Worst Mistakes at Man Utd – Ranked

September 12, 2025 Kris Isaksen

Andre Onana was brought in to transform Manchester United’s style of play — instead, he left fans with their heads in their hands far too often. After two turbulent seasons, he’s now off on loan to Trabzonspor, with little more than a highlight reel of horror shows to look back on. Here are his 16 most memorable mistakes in a United shirt, counted down from unfortunate to unforgivable.

16. Lobbed Against Lens (August 2023)

Onana's Old Trafford debut, albeit in a friendly, set the tone for what was to come. He was embarrassingly lobbed from the halfway line by Lens' Florian Sotoca after a misplaced pass and poor positioning. Not exactly how you want to introduce yourself to your new home crowd.

15. Botching Ziyech's Free-Kick (November 2023)

In a key Champions League clash against Galatasaray, Onana’s wall was poorly set up and he was too slow to react. Hakim Ziyech’s tame free-kick slipped past him, giving the hosts a way back into the match. It was just the beginning of a nightmare evening in Istanbul.

14. Mix-Up with Dorgu (February 2025)

Patrick Dorgu was at fault, but Onana didn’t help himself by rushing out without shouting for the ball. The confusion allowed Ipswich’s Jaden Philogene to score inside four minutes at Old Trafford. Once again, communication — or the lack of it — proved costly.

13. Sane’s Shot Slips Through (September 2023)

In United’s Champions League return, Onana let a routine Leroy Sane shot squirm under his body. The blunder gifted Bayern Munich the opening goal, completely against the run of play. It set the stage for a 4–3 defeat and a series of European woes to come.

12. Forcing Casemiro to Dive In (October 2023)

Onana casually passed the ball straight to Dries Mertens, forcing Casemiro to foul him and earn a red card in the process. Though Mauro Icardi missed the penalty, United went on to lose 3–2 to Galatasaray. It was a brutal reminder that bad distribution from the back comes with serious consequences.

11. Not Noticing Mitoma (January 2025)

Brighton were in control, but Onana made it worse by switching off entirely. As a cross floated in, he assumed it was going out and left his near post wide open. Kaoru Mitoma pounced and punished him — yet another lapse in awareness.

10. Giving City Hope (May 2024)

In the FA Cup final, Onana had been doing well — until the 86th minute. Jeremy Doku’s shot should have been a routine save, but Onana let it sneak past his near post. United clung on to win 2–1, but he nearly turned a comfortable victory into a late collapse.

9. Fooled by Philogene (February 2025)

Already under fire from an earlier error in the same game, Onana froze as a bouncing cross from Philogene floated toward his near post. Distracted by Liam Delap, he allowed the ball to squeeze in untouched. Luckily, Harry Maguire's late goal spared him the headlines — this time.

8. Diving the Wrong Way (December 2024)

Morgan Gibbs-White’s shot was straight down the middle and lacked power, yet Onana inexplicably dived the other way. At first it looked like a freak goal, but replays showed it was simply poor judgment. Nottingham Forest were gifted a crucial winner.

7. Joint-Effort with Martinez (December 2024)

Just minutes after Gibbs-White’s goal, Onana and Lisandro Martinez both froze on a slow Chris Wood header. Each expected the other to act — neither did — and the ball bounced in. United fans were left in disbelief at the double blunder.

6. Proving Matic Right (April 2025)

After a public spat with Nemanja Matic, Onana entered the Europa League tie with Lyon under pressure. He was visibly rattled and let Thiago Almada’s curling free-kick creep past him. Social media erupted, with many saying Matic had been right all along.

5. Present for Rutter (January 2025)

With United chasing the game against Brighton, Onana had a routine low cross to gather — and no opponent near him. Yet he still managed to fumble it into the path of Georginio Rutter, who scored easily. It was the final nail in a dreadful performance.

4. Conceding an Olimpico (December 2024)

Goals scored straight from corners are rare — unless you’re United in December 2024. Just days after Altay Bayindir let one in, Onana did the same against Wolves. He misjudged the flight of the ball and watched helplessly as it curled into the net.

3. Gaffes at Grimsby (August 2025)

Given a chance to redeem himself in the Carabao Cup, Onana imploded against League Two Grimsby. Beaten at his near post, bullied at set-pieces, and saving just one of 13 penalties in the shootout, he was the main reason United suffered an historic cup humiliation. It may go down as his final act in a United shirt — and it was fittingly awful.

2. Playing Out the Wrong Way (April 2024)

Tasked with helping United play from the back, Onana made a schoolboy error against bottom-of-the-league Sheffield United. A poor pass to Diogo Dalot was easily intercepted by Jayden Bogle, who gave the Blades a shock lead. United managed to win, but the gaffe was unforgivable.

1. Bungling Another Ziyech Free-Kick (November 2023)

Already guilty of an earlier error in the same match, Onana's worst moment came when he mishandled another Ziyech free-kick. Instead of parrying it away, he pushed it back toward goal, allowing Galatasaray to draw level again. The 3–3 result left United’s Champions League hopes in tatters, and Onana could be directly blamed for dropping the four points that ultimately knocked them out of Europe.