Manchester United now face the difficult task of automatically qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Women’s Champions League after losing to a dominant Lyon side.
Tabatha Chawinga’s diving header in the first half and Melky Dumornay’s second-half double proved to be enough at Leigh Sports Village as Mark Skinner’s side were unable to secure a win against the eight-time European champions.
United went into this battle knowing that an upset would not only put them ahead of their opponents in the league table, but also mean they would go into the final game in the top four, giving them an automatic route to the last eight.
Lyon celebrate first goal against Manchester United
Coach Skinner made some bold changes to the line-up, including removing Ella Toone and Jess Park, to give the team a physical edge, but they were eventually punished for a lack of quality.
Immediately after Jade Riviere’s incredible block denied Ada Hegerberg, Chawinga pounced with a deft header that Faron Tallis-Joyce was unable to save.
Manchester United could not match Lyon’s pressure
The hosts struggled to find momentum and should have equalized with their only chance of the game, as Melvin Mallard missed a chance to score against his former club with a close-range header.
Coach Skinner brought in more technical players at the start of the second half, but they provided little inspiration and Dumornay capped off the three points with a well-deserved second-half double.
Melky Dumornay’s late double gives Lyon victory over Manchester United
The result drops United to ninth place, good enough for an unseeded spot in the play-off round. But any hopes of a top-four finish have all but disappeared as they now have to rely on results elsewhere to secure their place.
As for Lyon, they were tied on points with leader Barcelona, but finished in second place on goal difference and were almost certain to advance to the quarter-finals.
Skinner: We need to invest in Lyon-level quality.
Man United head coach Mark Skinner told Disney+:
“That’s the way it is. In the first half, we gave them too much respect. In the second half, we were a little better, but they have a cheat code. She just presses the button and folds it into the top corner.”
Manchester United manager Mark Skinner labels Melchy Dumornay a cheat code after his second goal
“We need to aim for that. We need to invest at that level. Their physicality is really important. They get a half-yard and they’re gone. We’re not at that level yet in those little things. I don’t mind admitting that, but we want to get to that level.”
“In the first half, I felt like our midfield was a bit exposed. We needed more nuisance and experience. I think we could really hurt Lyon, but we took our chances.
“You don’t want to lose a match, but you have to learn from that moment. It’s scary to lose, but at the same time you have to live within performance parameters.
“The first goal should have been stopped. Melvin Mallard should have scored it. It could have made it a lot more tense. Then they got the cheat code and the changes they made after that were world class.”
“I love my team, but we need that depth of quality to support them.”
Le Tissier: We couldn’t show what we could do
Manchester United captain Maya Le Tissier told Disney+:
“I thought we played a lot better in the second half, especially on the ball. We had a lot more creativity and flow in the game. That was a bonus.”
“The way we defended the last two goals, we can definitely take it. That’s not really who we are. But they’re a great team and they’ve got some great individuals.”
“We want to be in the Champions League every year. It’s very exciting to be involved. Playing against the best teams is what you want to do to find out how far you are.
“It’s nice to play some football under the radar and see how far we can go. I thought the performance in the first half didn’t show who Man United are. We came into the second half with more courage and that’s what we want to do.”
