LYON/GLASGOW: Manchester United and Athletic Bilbao held the advantage after the first legs of their Europa League quarter-finals for the right to face each in the semis.

United drew 2-2 away to Lyon for whom a stoppage-time finish from Rayan Cherki saved the day after a game in which visiting goalkeeper Andre Onana’s errors costing his side dear.

Onana was the centre of attention in the Groupama Stadium after his pre-match war of words with Lyon midfielder Nemanja Matic, and the pressure told as his mistake gifted Thiago Almada a 25th-minute opener.

A timely equaliser right on halftime from Leny Yoro, the young centre-back’s first goal for United since joining in the close season, levelled things up, before Joshua Zirkzee’s late header looked to have earned the visitors a battling victory.

Cherki, however, capitalised on another Onana error, when the Cameroonian could only push Georges Mikautadze’s shot straight out to him, denying United a win to galvanise their disappointing season.

The visitors started well, creating the better openings – with Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund wasting a glorious early chance. That miss proved costly, as Onana’s error gifted Lyon the opener.

The pre-match discourse had been centred on the clash between Onana and former United midfielder Matic. Onana had said United were “way better” than their French opponents, with Matic biting back, labelling the United stopper one of the worst goalkeepers in the club’s history.

Onana got plenty of abuse from home supporters every time he touched the ball, with the glaring mistake that allowed Almada’s free kick to drift all the way in not helping his cause.

United did not let their heads drop, however, with Yoro doing well to guide Manuel Ugarte’s strike into the net with his head, the centre-back becoming the club’s youngest-ever defender to score in Europe.

United retreated in the second half, with Lyon passing up several big chances before Bruno Fernandes picked out Zirkzee to spark wild scenes of celebration, before joy quickly turned to despair in stoppage time.

In Glasgow Rangers held Athletic Bilbao to a nail-biting goalless draw despite being reduced to 10 men early on. Bilbao failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage after Rangers defender Robin Propper was sent off in the 13th minute for a foul on Inaki Williams.

The visitors, appearing in the last 16 of a major European competition for the first time since 2015-16, had a couple of clear-cut opportunities in the first half, with both Nico Williams and Oihan Sancet coming close.

However, goalkeeper Liam Kelly produced a series of fine saves to keep them at bay as the Scottish Premiership side defended strongly and even threatened when Cyriel Dessers fired wide from long range.

The game was delayed for seven minutes in the second half due to an injury to 18-year-old Bailey Rice, who was carried off on a stretcher after taking a knock on the head.

Bilbao, who finished second in the league phase, thought they had broken the deadlock when substitute Alex Berenguer scored in the 76th minute.

The winger, however, was flagged offside after a VAR review but a penalty was awarded as the ball had bounced off the hand of defender James Tavernier before the goal.

Goalkeeper Kelly again emerged as the hero with a crucial save from Berenguer to keep the result scoreless as Bilbao failed to score in a European game for the first time in their last 19 matches.

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