Antony shines to help his team escape defeat in Europa League

(Dan Tri) - Striker Antony shone brightly with an assist and a goal in the final minutes, helping Real Betis retain 1 point at home against Nottingham Forest in the opening day of the Europa League.

Real Betis had a difficult start in the UEFA Europa League. At La Cartuja on the evening of September 24, despite taking the lead in the 15th minute thanks to Cedric Bakambu, the Spanish team still played poorly and let their opponents score two goals in the 18th and 23rd minutes to turn the situation around.

Real Betis took the lead through Cedric Bakambu's goal (Photo: Getty).

Conceding two quick goals, Real Betis players' playing style gradually became unstable. In the 32nd minute, the Spanish representative almost conceded a third goal after Elliot Anderson's skillful dribbling passed a series of Betis players. However, those efforts were only enough to send the ball hitting the post.

Despite their numerous attacks, Nottingham Forest were unable to produce results, causing them to pay the price. In the 85th minute, Antony's moment of brilliance brought the match back to balance. Marc Roca broke through on the left wing and crossed to the far post. Antony swooped in and tapped the ball into the net, tying the score at 2-2 and causing La Cartuja Stadium to explode.

“The goal was fantastic, it was emotional for us. It was a relief. I spoke to my brother today, he texted me that I would score and it came true.

"I'm very happy to score, but also a bit sad that we couldn't win. My family went through very difficult times in the slums. I dedicate this goal to my son, who is here with his wife, and to my brother," Antony said after the match.

Antony's performance in this match was extremely impressive. He touched the ball 76 times, had an 82% passing accuracy, created two clear chances and had four successful dribbles.

With a shot on target and tireless contributions, the Brazilian striker was given 9 points by Sofascore, the highest score of the match, affirming his class.

Antony celebrates after scoring for Betis (Photo: Getty).

Antony moved to Real Betis on loan from Man Utd. In the second half of the 2024-25 season, he proved his importance at Real Betis.

With 9 goals in 26 matches, the Brazilian striker not only helped the Spanish team win 6th place in La Liga but also contributed greatly to bringing the team to the Conference League final.

In the summer of 2025, Real Betis decided to buy Antony outright for 21 million pounds. He was warmly welcomed by fans here, the jerseys with Antony's name on them sold more than 1,000 in a short time, and the personal fashion line also quickly "sold out".

On September 28, Antony and his teammates at Real Betis will continue to play at home against Osasuna in round 7 of La Liga.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/antony-toa-sang-giup-doi-nha-thoat-thua-o-europa-league-20250925092943938.htm