Antony's Betis brilliance: One year on, Brazilian star silences Metropolitano with stunning strike
A look at the Brazilian's impact since joining Real Betis one year ago, with his latest masterclass against Atlético Madrid showcasing why he's among LaLiga's elite.
Antony celebrates his one-year anniversary at Real Betis by breaking the Verdiblancos’ curse at the Metropolitano with a trademark stunner, continuing his remarkable impact despite ongoing fitness struggles.
A year to remember
It’s been exactly one year since Antony arrived at Real Betis during the January 2025 transfer window, making his official debut on February 2nd against Athletic Club at the Benito Villamarín. What a difference twelve months can make, eh? The Brazilian has established himself as one of LaLiga’s most dangerous attacking talents despite battling persistent pubis problems that have somewhat limited his training schedule.
The numbers tell a proper story:
- 54 official appearances for Betis
- 19 goals across all competitions
- 13 assists to his name
- 10 goals already this season (6 in LaLiga)
- 8 assists this campaign across LaLiga, Europa League and Copa del Rey
These aren’t just stats for the sake of it – they’re the bread and butter of why Betis have been able to secure European football and reach the Conference League final against Chelsea last season.
Metropolitan masterclass
Yesterday at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Antony was at it again. After the disappointment of not being able to help his team reach the Copa del Rey semi-finals last Thursday, the Brazilian had his own personal redemption arc.
Grafting up and down the right flank, not only was he a constant attacking threat but he repeatedly tracked back to support Ruibal with defensive duties – proper team player, that. But it was midway through the first half when the magic happened.
Receiving the ball in his favourite position near the corner of the box, he feinted to go outside before catching Oblak completely off guard with a sharp, low drive to the near post. Absolute peach of a goal, that was.
Working through the pain
What makes Antony’s performances even more remarkable is that he’s been dealing with those pubis issues for some time. The Betis medical team and coaching staff carefully manage his training load, gym sessions and recovery periods to avoid aggravating the problem area.
But when he crosses that white line on matchday, you’d never know he was carrying any niggles. As they say in the East End, he’s showing real bottle.
Antony’s goal yesterday not only secured three points but broke Betis’ Metropolitan Stadium curse, where they’d only managed a solitary draw in nearly a decade followed by defeat after defeat. For Manuel Pellegrini, the Brazilian is proving to be absolute gold dust – a genuine game-changer when it matters most.