De Gea stunned by former teammate
“Antony would never score like this in a thousand years!”
The Spanish goalkeeper of Fiorentina conceded a spectacular goal from Antony, who according to De Gea had never scored with his right foot during Manchester United training sessions.
About three weeks had passed since Antony’s last goal, which might have caused some noise, but for Real Betis it didn’t matter at all. Betis fans were not only satisfied with him but were fascinated by his playing style and charisma on the pitch. After a stormy start with three goals and two assists in the first five matches, Antony shone again in Montilivi against Girona with an exceptional goal.
And what a goal! A spectacular volley with the inside of his right foot that beautifully beat Gazzaniga’s goal. Antony’s talent goes beyond statistics. His presence significantly elevated the quality of a team that included players like Isco, Luiz Henrique, and Fornals.
If Antony needed to show his ability to make a difference again, he clearly did so against a goalkeeper who was his teammate at Old Trafford. Apparently, David de Gea wasn’t familiar with the Betis version of Antony and didn’t know how dangerous he could be. Thus, De Gea witnessed a breathtaking volley from the Brazilian that went straight into the corner of the net – with his right foot!
De Gea could do nothing against this sudden shot. Antony shone at the moment his team needed him and increased the lead in the knockout stage match, although Luca Ranieri scored a goal for the opponent in the final minutes. This day was special for Antony, as he became the first Brazilian in Betis history to score in the semi-finals of a European competition.
De Gea can’t believe it
De Gea, who was teammates with Antony at Manchester United in the 2022/23 season, joked about his goal: “I’ve trained with him a thousand times and he never scored with his right foot in training!”
These comments quickly went viral. He added: “Antony is fantastic, he has incredible one-on-one ability, and when he’s confident, he shows his real quality. He had a great game and goal.”
De Gea concluded: “I didn’t see where the shot came from, there was a player in front of me and I couldn’t see. He struck it very well with his right foot. I’m happy for him because he had tough days at Manchester and now he’s showing what a quality player he is.”
