Antony broke down in tears right on the pitch

Antony couldn’t contain his feelings after missing a crucial opportunity in injury time, leading Real Betis to drop points against Rayo Vallecano in the battle for a top 4 spot in La Liga.

In the match held at Estadio de La Cartuja, Real Betis was held to a 1-1 draw by Rayo Vallecano, failing to close the gap on fourth-placed Atletico Madrid. Currently, Manuel Pellegrini’s team remains 6 points behind Atletico in the race for a Champions League qualification spot.

Betis started well with Cedric Bakambu scoring in the 16th minute. However, Rayo Vallecano — just 2 points above the relegation zone with a game in hand — equalized in the 42nd minute through Isi Palazon.

In the second half, the Seville side pressed hard but struggled to break through the opponent’s defense. As the match neared its end, Pellegrini’s players showed a lack of creativity in their attacking play.

The drama peaked in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Antony suddenly found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Augusto Batalla after a clever through ball from Cucho Hernandez. With only the keeper to beat, the Brazilian’s shot unfortunately went straight to Batalla, much to the home fans’ deep disappointment.

Right after the final whistle, the camera caught Antony crying uncontrollably. His frustration was so evident that teammates and sporting director Manu Fajardo rushed to comfort him.

According to El Chiringuito, the former Ajax star was completely devastated by the miss at the crucial moment of the game.

Antony joined Real Betis on a loan transfer from Manchester United in January 2025, after struggling to make an impact at Old Trafford. He originally arrived at the “Red Devils” in 2022 for a fee of £86 million from Ajax but managed only 12 goals and 5 assists in 96 appearances.

Nevertheless, the second half of last season saw Antony’s strong revival at Betis. His impressive form convinced the Spanish club to pay £21.5 million to secure his permanent transfer during the recent summer window.