Andre Onana produced one of the double saves of the season during Manchester United’s Europa League clash with Fenerbahce. The Cameroonian received criticism last season for his inconsistent performances after making the move to Old Trafford from Inter Milan in 2023, but this season he has been exceptional.
After Christian Eriksen gave the visitors the lead with a free-flowing counter-attack, the shot-stopper was called into action not once, but twice to keep the hosts from equalising as they pressed for an equaliser. In the 36th minute, Onana’s quick reflexes and precise positioning prevented what seemed an inevitable goal as he thwarted striker Youssef En-Nesyri twice within mere moments, preserving United’s slender lead — though it would ultimately slip away in the second half.
The first save was a moment of pure reflex; diving low, Onana managed to palm away a fierce header that had bounced dangerously just before reaching him, leaving En-Nesyri stunned, convinced his effort was destined for the net.
Displaying remarkable agility, Onana quickly returned to his feet to deny En-Nesyri’s second attempt, this time a header from close range, which drew a jubilant response from his team-mates. Fenerbahce manager and former United head coach Jose Mourinho had his hands on his head in disbelief — he thought his side were level.
View this post on Instagram
Here, we break down Onana’s remarkable double save.
As Erik ten Hag’s men failed to recover in transition, acres of space were afforded to Sebastian Szymanski on the left-hand side. When Szymanski gathered the ball on the wing, it became clear from his body language that he was going to cross the ball into the penalty area. Almost simultaneously as Szymanski controlled the ball, Onana needed to survey the box and get a quick glimpse of where the Fenerbahce attackers were. There were only three players in it: Dusan Tadic, Caglar Soyuncu and En-Nesyri.
Once Szymanski swung the ball in and it began to dip toward the centre of his six-yard box, it became clear this wasn’t going to be a cross that Onana could claim. Rather than getting himself set at his position a few yards from his goal, he took two quick drop steps back toward his line and one step to his right and quickly got himself set. The drop steps and retreat to his line gave Onana the precious reaction time he was going to need to make the save.
Already in the perfect position and with his limbs ready to fire, Onana exploded down towards the ball and pushed it away from goal to make the first save.
Yes, his hand placement and reflexes were phenomenal, but it was his precise positioning and ability to anticipate the point of impact that led to him making a save rather than conceding a goal here.
By anticipating the point of impact, he allowed himself to see the ball for the entirety of its flight, keep his feet in near-continuous contact with the ground, get set at exactly the right time and use very quick hands to push En-Nesyri’s effort wide.
Onana also knew to trust the percentages. A cross toward the near post or centre of the goal (usually) requires the offensive player to meet the ball at a forward/attacking angle (rather than backwards) as they redirect the ball on target. While players at the very top level are capable of some incredible flexibility in their finishing ability, there is still a tendency and comfort level to go with the most logical type of finish in these types of situations — sending the ball back the way it came from.
When I played for Helsingborg, I had Celtic and Sweden legend Henrik Larsson as my manager and I can’t tell you how many times I heard him in training screaming at our forwards to redirect the ball back the way it came when we were doing shooting exercises. He was one of the best at making the correct decisions at exactly the right times over and over again in his playing career, especially when finishing. As a striker, he knew first-hand how much harder it was to hook the ball across your body and into the back of the net. “Don’t get cute,” he used to say. “Use the momentum already in the ball and redirect it on target.”
Being aware of the play before it develops is vital for a goalkeeper. Whether it’s a cross, shot, pass, or even just looking to see where your defenders are, can determine if you are able to make a save or not. Onana was never going to be able to cover the entire goal in this moment as, physically, it was not possible. Therefore he needed to use the variables at play to make the best decisions based on the information in front of him to make a save.
As Onana tracked the ball across his goal; the positioning of his defender Diogo Dalot, and the pressure he was applying on En-Nesyri, meant the shot was likely to be aimed at the near post. Could he have redirected the ball toward the far post instead? Yes, but that would have been much more difficult for him to pull off, especially with Dalot on his back.
By the time En-Nesyri put the ball on target, Onana was already in the right place at exactly the right time to make a tremendous reaction save and keep United ahead in an intensely chaotic game.
Making things even more difficult for Onana in the moment was the way the ball bounced on its way towards goal.
When a ball bounces in front of you, you are no longer dealing with a ball that has a predictable path, but one that could change direction and vary in its height after that bounce. It’s in these moments that a goalkeeper typically needs to make two movements, which is a big reason why it’s so difficult to make a save on a bouncing shot or header similar to En-Nesyri’s. The goalkeeper needs to first move downwards to react to the low shot and then spring upwards as the ball bounces off the grass — all while simultaneously moving their body laterally and forward to get behind and cut off the shot.
Onana’s work wasn’t done there.
With the ball still in play and bouncing towards Tadic, Onana quickly sprung to his feet at the near post. As Tadic neatly flicked the ball back in front of goal, Onana then took a small drop step to his left, again following the flight of the ball as it made its way back toward En-Nesyri.
Pay attention to Onana’s hand position as the ball was headed back across his goal because, without his hands in the position they were, I’m not sure he ever makes this save.
Onana initially had his hands a bit lower when he set at his near post, but as the ball was redirected in front of his goal, his body shape and hand position simultaneously began to rise before settling just above his midsection. His hands were also symmetrical and at almost exactly the same height. This was crucial because it meant his hands were now in sync and in a more comfortable position to shoot his hands up toward the ball, regardless of which direction En-Nesyri sent the ball on target.
It also meant that the distance his hands had to travel to make the save was significantly shorter than they were just a moment earlier. If his hands were any lower here, Onana probably never would have got his hands to the ball in time and we are looking at a goal being scored rather than a save being made.
By the time En-Nesyri once again redirected the ball on target, all Onana had left to do was shoot his hands up toward the ball to push it over the goal for a corner kick. It was his hand shape (in addition to his incredible reflexes) that allowed his decision-making to be as fluid and exact as it was.
The save immediately drew comparisons to the double save Arsenal’s David Raya made last month against Atalanta, when he first denied Mateo Retegui’s penalty and then sprang across the goal to prevent the Italian striker from slotting in the rebound.
What makes a double save so extraordinary is that it demands more than skill — it requires an exceptional combination of mental acuity and physical agility. Reacting not once but twice, often within seconds, means the goalkeeper must instinctively prepare for a rebound even while making the first save. The second stop demands immediate recovery, which is particularly difficult as the ’keeper is often at a disadvantage or off-balance from the initial save.
Each save showcased the unique strengths and instinctive brilliance of the two ’keepers. Onana’s save relied heavily on positioning and anticipation while Raya’s was a demonstration of acrobatic reflexes and pure reach. But which one was more impressive?
From a technical standpoint, Onana’s first save was arguably more challenging. Occurring during open play with multiple moving parts, Onana needed to make numerous small adjustments, all while positioning himself in the right place at the right time to react within milliseconds. His low, controlled save was all the more remarkable given its unpredictability. This contrasts with Raya’s first stop, a penalty save, which was much more routine of the two.
However, as impressive as Onana’s second save was, Raya’s full-stretch denial on Retegui was exceptional and arguably even better. The speed and distance he covered to block the follow-up attempt displayed a level of agility and quickness that few goalkeepers possess. Plus, as quick as Raya was darting across the goal, his ability to turn and orientate himself at the final second, throwing his left hand backwards in order to claw the ball away from goal, was even more impressive.
Regardless of which save you may think was tougher, ultimately, both saves perfectly highlighted the distinct qualities each ’keeper brings to the field. Onana’s sequence was a masterclass in positioning and tactical anticipation, allowing him to respond to multiple threats with precision, whereas Raya’s stop showcased physical prowess and reaction time in a high-pressure moment.
Perhaps the right thing to do is simply to admire both moments for what they were — two of the finest examples of double saves we’ll ever see.
(Top photo: Zohaib Alam – MUFC/Manchester United via Getty Images)
