Antony scored and assisted to help Real Betis claim a 4-3 aggregate win over Fiorentina to reach the 2024/25 UEFA Europa Conference League final.
The on-loan attacker from Manchester United looked reborn, as he rode Betis to the finals with his excellent performance.
Having earned a 2-1 home win in the first leg of the semi-final tie, the Spanish side secured a 2-2 draw in Florence, after extra time, to set up the showpiece against Chelsea in Wroclaw.
Betis started the game the better side as Antony was twice thwarted by former United team-mate David De Gea. Pietro Comuzzo also had a chance denied as his looping header was cleared off the line in the opening minutes.
Betis then took the lead in the 30th minute as Antony bent a sublime 30-yard free-kick into the top-left corner.
However, Fiorentina hit back quickly with Gosens leaping high to head home Rolando Mandragora’s corner in the 34th minute.
Betis almost retook the lead after Johnny Cardoso hammered the bar for Betis, but Gosens once again scored, to bring the home side tied on aggregate.
The Belgian midfielder netted another corner, three minutes before the break, this time glancing home Yacine Adli’s delivery.
The game went balanced as both side searched for the winner. Gosens volleyed wide for Fiorentina and flicked on a header that Moise Kean almost connected with. Meanwhile, De Gea made a superb double intervention from Antony and Abde Ezzalzouli late on to ensure extra time.
However, Ezzalzouli silenced the home fans at the Stadio Artemio Franchi as he scored in the first half of extra time. The Morrocan fired home Antony’s fantastic squared ball from the right, leaving De Gea no chance.
Abde Ezzalzouli proved the super-sub as he struck the post deep into the second half of extra time. Meanwhile, his goal in first-half earned Betis secured a 4-3 aggregate victory and a place in the Conference League final.
Manuel Pellegrini’s men have now punched their ticket to face Chelsea in the final in Wroclaw on May 28.
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