Opinion: United picture brightening, despite late equaliser

But when the dawn rises on Friday morning, a 2-2 result away from home will feel like a manageable outcome ahead of next week's return leg at Old Trafford.

By withstanding the loud racket made by Lyon's Bad Gones ultras on the Kop Virage Nord for so much of the game – between Lyon's two goals – Ruben Amorim surely has more evidence that his team has the capability to make it all the way to Bilbao.

The Reds had chances to score even more and looked composed on the ball for long stretches, and there were numerous bright spots all over the pitch – and from the substitute's bench – if you can overlook the frustration of that late leveller.

Lyon are arguably the best side United have faced in the Europa League this season, as our head coach suggested they would be in his pre-match press conference, and the Groupama Stadium is also the biggest away ground we've negotiated in Europe during 2024/25.

When Onana spilled a free-kick in the 25th minute, onlookers might have suspected the pressure of this quarter-final first leg was getting to United but, instead, the Reds found a way back, earning a solid result to take back to Old Trafford.

The boss said beforehand that our success or failure in the Europa League was connected to everything going on at the club right now, in terms of future planning, and this result is significant in that context.

But it must also please the boss that the team's playing style is becoming more stable; that results are becoming more consistent, even if there are too many of those irritating draws at the moment

France's premier sports paper, L'Equipe, ran a piece on Bruno Fernandes' captaincy on matchday, reporting that a team dinner organised by the captain on 19 February might just have been the turning point in our season, because we've lost just once since that date. (They're not counting the FA Cup exit to Fulham as a 'defeat', due to the penalty shootout finale.)

The setback at Nottingham Forest is the only true reverse in that time, and the number of goals conceded is also generally dropping.

There's also growing evidence that the tougher tests draw the best out of Amorim's side: in games against Manchester City (twice), Liverpool and Arsenal, United have shown that our top level is capable of regularly competing against the best.

Here at Lyon, there was more evidence too that the players are getting to grips with the 3-5-2 system that has drawn so much attention from the media and fans.

We had Leny Yoro striding forwards from defence with the ball, even coming within yards of scoring his second goal of a game that had already contained his maiden Reds strike.

And though Rasmus Hojlund did not make the most of his few goalscoring openings, he showed a clear understanding of what the manager wants from him: runs in behind, and occasionally showing a little deeper to offer the full-backs an out-ball from the wider areas.

It didn't always lead to chances, but you can sense the fluidity improving. Recent games against Nottingham Forest and Manchester City suggested similarly, in passages.

In midfield, Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte are providing a nice foil to Bruno Fernandes's rampant creativity, and there was a further boost when Kobbie Mainoo returned with 10 minutes left, for his first minutes since early February.

Joshua Zirkzee's late goal - which seemed certain to be the winner – was the latest bit of momentum in the enigmatic forward's strong second half to the campaign.

Out wide, Patrick Dorgu and Diogo Dalot did not have the finest nights, but Dorgu placed a lovely cross on to Alejandro Garnacho's left foot in the second period, which could easily have translated into our second, and a Dalot burst in the first half led to a deflected Fernandes strike which was our best attacking moment prior to Yoro's savvy header.

These are but fragments, but with players returning from lay-offs and competition for places increasing, the picture is gradually brightening for United fans. But the players' determination to stick to Amorim's plan is surely what will please the boss most.

The job is far from done against the French club, with the scoreline tied at 2-2 – as it was at this stage of the last round, against Real Sociedad – but the Portuguese's team continue to suggest promise, which is perhaps the most important thing of all, whether United end this season with silverware or without.