‘Because of me’ - Andre Onana gives brutally honest assessment of Man Utd mistake vs Bayern

Andre Onana took full responsibility for Manchester United’s Champions League loss to Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, and claimed his mistake in the first half was the reason the Red Devils lost.

United were beaten 4-3 on the opening night of Champions League Group A, with Ramsus Hojlund’s first goal for the club and Casemiro’s late brace not enough for Erik ten Hag’s side.

The visitors were soundly beaten in Germany on Wednesday, but were the better team in the opening half an hour. Yet the game changed after 28 minutes, when Leroy Sane’s relatively tame shot managed to squirm through the gloves of Onana and ended up in the back of the United net.

The ex-Ajax and Inter Milan goalkeeper went on to make several good saves in the second half and wasn’t at fault for the final three goals, but Onana said afterwards that his costly error changed the course of proceedings at the Allianz Arena.

“It’s a difficult situation for us, especially for me because I am the one who let the team down,” he told TNT Sport. “The team were very good and because of me we didn’t win this game. I am happy for the work of the team and we just have to move on. This is the life of a goalkeeper and if we didn’t win today it was because of me. 

“We were very good on the ball and they didn’t create any chances before the shot on target, and I made a mistake,” he continued. “It was the key point and the team went down because of that mistake.

“I have to learn from it and be strong and move on. It is not an easy situation, but I am very happy for the comeback of the team, we were fighting to the end. But I have to recognise that because of me we didn’t win.”

The mistake from Onana was the third high-profile error since he joined the Red Devils last summer, and the Cameroonian admitted he has not enjoyed a great start to life at Old Trafford.

“I have a lot to prove because my start in Manchester was not so good. It is not what I want and today, the way I play, it was one of my worst games,” he said. “It is difficult because we have big ambitions and we are a big club, and we want to win everything.

“It was a big opportunity for us to bounce back after the situation we are facing. It’s a tough time and we have to be better. We have to continue working on what we are doing and learn from our mistakes because it is the only thing to do.”