Truth be told, Manchester United are just getting away in the Europa League against teams that do not match their confidence. If Manchester United were what we thought as much, no doubt in mind that we won't see them in the final. Lyon is not much contender, they can easily beat Lyon and move into the semi finals which will determine, next on still isn't a competitive club, (Athletic club or Rangers), maybe we just skip our interest on the remaining matches and hope for the final where they face Premier League rivals Tottenham.
Maybe it's true that if Manchester United can play with extreme confidence, so we can say that the quarter-final stage will not create any adverse conditions for them. But when they reach the semi-finals beyond the quarter-finals, they will have to face a much stronger team. The Ligue 1 club Lyons are not a strong enough team, they have been playing inconsistently, so opportunities may automatically arise for Manchester United against this team. The Lyon Football Club may look a little stronger on their familiar ground but perhaps Manchester United Football Club will be able to overcome that properly.
Lyon concede 4 goals at home to Strasbourg, then smash FCSB 4-0 in Europe. Total Jekyll & Hyde stuff. But Groupama Stadium is statistically a fortress for them. 2.0 points per game at home, way better than their away form. United better not walk in there thinking it's easy. Also, you nailed the bigger picture. Historically, United beats up quarter-finals (64% progression rate), but then they get to the semis and suddenly it's drop to 41% progression rate. Plus, look at Athletic Bilbao potentially waiting in the semis, sitting top 4 in La Liga, not some mid-table squad. Indeed, Lyon might be "beatable", but if United goes in soft or with that old "we got this" energy, Lyon could flip the script. It's all about whether Amorim can get these guys mentally locked in, not just riding on history