Antony scores ANOTHER scorcher to give Real Betis a dramatic last-gasp win - after club legend joked he would KIDNAP £86m Man United flop
Manchester United loanee Antony scored a stunning last minute winner for Real Betis as they beat Espanyol 2-1 in La Liga.
The Brazilian cut in from the right wing before curling the ball into the top left corner from the edge of the box, sending Betis's away fans into raptures.
The 25-year-old, who endured a miserable spell at Old Trafford after joining for £86million in 2022, has been rejuventated since his loan spell in Spain.
He has now scored seven times and claimed four assists since joining the Seville-based outfit in January.
His performances have earned rave reviews and Betis fans are desperate for him to extend his stay at the club.
Club legend Joaquin even joked that he would kidnap Antony to keep him at the club, after the former Ajax star scored a sensational half-volley to give Betis victory over Fiorentina in the first leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final.
Speaking after Betis' victory, Joaquin said: 'I'll provide the car if he has to be kidnapped, but let him stay no matter what.
'This is the moment to enjoy. I think important moments will come, and we'll see later.'
Real Betis's win means they are now just one point behind Villareal, who sit in La Liga's fifth and final Champions League qualification spot, with just four fixtures remaining this campaign.
Manuel Pellegrini's side travel to Fiorentina for their Europa Conference League second leg on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Manchester United remain in 15th, two points above 17th placed West Ham, after their 4-3 loss to Brentford on Sunday.
Betis are interested in another loan move for Antony, while Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid may attempt to sign him permanently, according to El Chiringuito, who report that United are demanding between £34m and £42m for his services.
Although he has two years remaining on his contract at United it remains to be seen if there is any chance of Antony having a future at the club.
The winger struggled for consistency in Manchester and scored just 12 goals in 96 games.
Real Betis legend Joaquin joked he would kidnap Antony to keep him at the Spanish club
In an interview with ESPN Brasil, the winger said his 'personal life' affected his displays for the Red Devils.
He admitted his performances were far below the standard that had seen him secure the Manchester move and be selected as part of the Brazil squad for the 2022 World Cup.
'I think that, apart from my football life, my personal life got in the way a lot, because of the things I went through, the moments I lived there,' said Antony.
'Like it or not, it's affected me a lot. So, of course, I know the potential I have.
'It's not for nothing that I went to a World Cup, it's not for nothing that I was sold to United for a lot of money, and I know my worth.
'People look at the moment, but they don't look at the bigger picture, what happens to bring things about.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd submit final Bryan Mbeumo transfer offer as Viktor Gyokeres drops hint
Manchester United are pushing to sign Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo, who they want to lead the line next season for Ruben Amorim alongside £62.5million arrival Matheus Cunha Manchester United are beginning to gather momentum in the summer transfer window - and are wasting no time in trying to get deals done. The club knows the importance of their business this off-season, after a dreadful debut campaign for Ruben Amorim, and are determined to get it right this time. United finished 15th in the Premier League and will not play in the Champions League next season after losing the Europa League final against Tottenham. They are recruiting from a position of weakness, which makes their decisions even more important, amid the financial difficulties spelled out by Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The Red Devils have made a positive start to the window by agreeing a deal to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolves. United will pay his full £62.5million release clause - and hope that his addition will encourage others to follow suit. In the meantime, they are negotiating the departures of some first-team players, knowing that offloading unwanted players will be just as important as recruiting new ones. Everyone in the squad is considered fair game, meaning there will be lots of incomings and outgoings this summer. Here are the latest pieces of news involving United. Final Mbeumo bid sumitted Manchester United have made one last attempt to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford. An initial bid of £55m, comprised of £45m up front and £10m in add-ons, was rejected by the Bees, so United have upped their offer. They have now offered £55m plus £5m in add-ons for the Cameroon international, who banged in 20 Premier League goals last season. The offer appears to match Brentford's stated £60m valuation for Mbeumo. It would appear the final stumbling block in the move, given that the 25-year-old forward is keen to move to Old Trafford and has already agreed personal terms of around £200,000-a-week over a five-year contract with an option for an extra year. Gyokeres drops transfer hint Viktor Gyokeres has been linked with a move to Manchester United, due to his relationship with his old Sporting boss Amorim, and he has now ruled out on summer transfer. When asked about moving back to Sweden, the 27-year-old striker told Swedish Vogue: 'After living in a warm country, it would be difficult." Gyokeres is understood to be available for £60m from Sporting this summer, but Arsenal are considered to be front-runners, because they can offer Champions League football. However, the Gunners are still considering RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, so Gyokeres' move to north London is far from certain. Hojlund's future on hold Inter Milan are waiting to get their new manager in place before deciding on a potential move for Rasmus Hojlund. Inter boss Simone Inzaghi left the Italian giants to join Al-Hilal after their defeat in the Champions League final and his replacement isn't through the door yet. Cristian Chivu is poised to leave Parma to take over from Inzaghi and he will be given a say over a potential move for Hojlund. The Danish international has a good reputation in Serie A following his spell at Atalanta and could be offered a way out of Old Trafford. Inter will need new attackers, with Joaquin Correa and Marko Arnautovic set to depart. And Hojlund could fit the bill for Chivu, although there are suggestions he could prefer Parma star Ange-Yoan Bonny instead.
South Wales Guardian
34 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
England T20 captain Harry Brook: I'm already preparing for 2026 World Cup
Friday's 21-run win over the West Indies in Durham was Brook's first outing as skipper in the format but he knows time is short to get his feet under the table. England have just 14 more games scheduled before the next global tournament in India and Sri Lanka in February, meaning the time is now when it comes to making plans. Dip. Grip. Past the edge 😮💨 Back in the team 🦁Straight in the wickets 👏 Liam Dawson | #ENGvWI — England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 6, 2025 That meant lining up with just two seamers for the first ever time in home conditions, with 12 overs of spin giving a hint at the structure England are likely to lean on in the sub-continent. While Brook's predecessor Jos Buttler set things up with a dominant knock of 96, Liam Dawson walked away with the player-of-the-match award in his first international appearance in nearly three years. The 35-year-old Hampshire stalwart claimed career-best figures of four for 20, while there were also wickets for Adil Rashid and Jacob Bethell. 'We don't want to look too far ahead but we've got to trial some things like this,' said Brook. 'The next World Cup is going to be in Sri Lanka and India. We're not completely set on this structure for the team but it's worth a go and it worked this time. 'I just think that having two very good spinners – frontline spinners – makes a massive difference. 'As a batter, when you're facing two experienced spin bowlers, you have to decide which end you're going to attack. 'These two (Rashid and Dawson) have been playing the game for so long, they know T20 cricket, they know the grounds and they've played against so many of these boys, that having them both in the side will help us going forward.' Dawson, who has been overlooked consistently for a rotating cast of spinners with inferior records on the county circuit, was praised for an 'awesome' comeback performance that saw him get the best of Johnson Charles, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase and Rovman Powell. 'He bowled beautifully. He's got so many skills. He's been playing the game for pushing on 20 years and he's learned a lot of things along the way,' said Brook. The West Indies were frustrated to be missing one of their own left-arm spinners on a helpful pitch for the slower bowlers. Akeal Hosein has yet to make it to English soil after delays related a change in UK visa requirements for Trinidad and Tobago. Cricket West Indies said 'attempts to expedite the visa process' had been unsuccessful but a spokesperson confirmed on Friday that the 32-year-old could arrive ahead of Tuesday's series finale in Southampton. One of our greatest white-ball players ever 🙌 Match Highlights: | @JosButtler — England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 6, 2025 All-rounder Jason Holder said: 'He was missed, he's one of our frontline players. It's an unfortunate situation. 'We can't control that so we can only control what's in front of us. We've got players here who are willing and able to do a job for the West Indies. 'We had a team that was good enough to beat England but we fell a little short, particularly with the bat.'
South Wales Argus
2 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Confidence is growing within Republic of Ireland squad
Kasey McAteer marked his first start for the Irish by giving them the lead in the first half but Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr struck with nine minutes remaining as it finished honours even. Hallgrimsson, though, took heart from how his side carried out his vision to largely stifle a Senegal side who are now 21 matches unbeaten and ranked 19th in the FIFA world rankings. A strong performance from the boys but tonight's friendly ends in a draw 🤝 — Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) June 6, 2025 That is 41 places higher than the Republic's current position, having been as high as 28th in October 2019, but Hallgrimsson senses this is a side on the up after making it three games without a defeat. 'There were times where we defended without the ball, we made them look quite average,' Hallgrimsson said. 'But I'm mostly happy that they didn't create a lot of goalscoring chances. 'Let's be honest, we're not one of the best teams in the world and this is how we need to play against teams that will dominate possession. 'We need to wait for our chances and take them when they come. In this area, confidence is growing. 'We will need to be patient, these steps are taken small steps at a time but this was really pleasing because if we wouldn't have done this as well as we did, we would have suffered against this team.' Kasey McAteer marked his first international start with a goal (Evan Treacy/PA) The Republic travel to Luxembourg on Tuesday in their final outing before beginning their qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup, with Portugal, Hungry and Armenia their opponents. Hallgrimsson was especially pleased with the display of Leicester's McAteer, who scored his first goal for the Irish in the 21st minute when firing in the rebound after his initial header had been kept out. 'If you've watched Kasey, he got a run for Leicester at the end of the season so you can see his club progress and he brought that into the national team,' Hallgrimsson said. 'That's always the answer you would like to have when you try out new players. 'It was a really good first start for him. He's a confident player on the ball, he has speed, good dribbling technique and if we can isolate him going one v one, that is his strength. Ismaila Sarr (centre) levelled for Senegal (Evan Treacy/PA) 'He's just a clever footballer with a good football brain; he knows where to pass the ball and not to pass the ball, etc.' A Senegal side without star names such as Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly levelled from close range through Sarr, with Hallgrimsson lamenting the absence of VAR as he felt the FA Cup winner was offside. 'VAR probably would have given it offside but we knew VAR was not in-house so we cannot complain,' the Icelander added. 'I think the referees did a good job, there was a really good flow in the game, so I was happy.'
