Real Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini described Antony’s debut as “positive” as he backed the Manchester United winger to make his mark at the club.
Last month, Antony sealed a loan move to Betis until the end of the season, after failing to break into Ruben Amorim’s plans at Old Trafford.
On Sunday, he was named in the starting XI for a La Liga clash with Athletic Bilbao. The Brazilian quickly registered an assist as his saved effort was prodded home by a lurking Isco.
Betis twice took the lead and were twice pegged back, with the game finishing 2-2. However, it was a solid first outing for Antony, who was named Player of the Match and was awarded the La Liga MVP award.
During the time he was on the pitch, the 24-year-old managed 40 touches of the ball, an 83% pass accuracy and two key passes.
He also connected with both his long passes and one crossing attempt.
After the final whistle, Pellegrini said [via Manchester Evening News], “Well, I think it was a very positive debut. He’s a quality player.”
“I was talking to him just before the game. I think a good player doesn’t have to be constantly showing off his skills with the ball. He has to play a good game, make few mistakes and do two or three important things: a goal, a good pass, a good cross.”
“I think he was very involved today, especially with the second goal. He had just arrived a couple of days before and I think he’s going to contribute a lot to us.”
The United loanee also spoke to reporters and gave his verdict on his own performance.
“Very happy, very pleased with the first game. The fans, incredible. But a little sad about the draw, but we’re going all out for the next game, where we have to get the three points.”
On how it felt to line up for Betis, he replied, “Very good, I felt very good. Anxious, I was waiting all week for this game. I’m fine.”
He said about his assist for Iscos close-range opener, “Yes, yes, almost, but if any player on the team scores, it is very important for me. The important thing is that the team is well and happy, we are all together.”
“Isco is a star, we know the history he has, the quality he has. In training we are connecting very well. We have to work harder to make this connection grow.”
When asked what he and Pellegrini discussed, Antony answered, “The manager told me to stay calm, he had a lot of experience, we didn’t talk much, he’s a great coach.”
He called on his side to be wary of losing points from winning positions.
“Yes, I think that attention and concentration from set pieces, the details, we have to work on them and not make mistakes. We have to be focused for the 90 minutes to avoid a draw like that.”
Antony told Betis fans, “First of all, thank you very much for everything, to the players, the fans, the coach, the staff. They expect me to be at 100% in every game, I’m going to give my all, we have to work harder to avoid losing points like that.”
The winger could make his second appearance for the Seville outfit on Saturday, when they come up against Celta Vigo.
It’s encouraging to see Antony off to a strong start at Betis, though it may leave a bitter taste for United fans, as the club has yet to replace him or Marcus Rashford with only hours remaining before the transfer window closes.
Featured image Fran Santiago via Getty Images
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
