Antony’s Moment of Magic Lifts Real Betis Over Espanyol
If you blinked, you almost missed it—a game that looked headed for a stalemate suddenly delivered one of those ‘where were you?’ moments. It was deep into added time at the Benito Villamarín when Antony danced past two Espanyol defenders, found just a sliver of space, and fired a rocket from outside the box that sent Betis fans into a frenzy. Espanyol keeper Joan García barely saw it. With that strike, Real Betis overturned a stubborn Espanyol lead to win 2-1 and, just as importantly, pumped fresh life into their Champions League hopes.
The evening didn’t start in Betis’ favor. Espanyol played with the freedom of a team with nothing to lose, and their confidence paid off when Roberto Fernández steered a cool finish past Rui Silva just before the half-hour mark. Betis looked rattled; passes went astray and, for a while, it was Espanyol’s Alex Král who nearly doubled the pain—his curling effort was only just denied by a full-stretch Silva. The first half finished with home fans shifting nervously in their seats, glancing at the table calculators in their heads. If Betis had dropped points, their shot at the top four would have started looking pretty shaky.
Lethal Lo Celso, Exceptional Isco, and Tactical Gambles
After the break, Betis turned up the pressure. The ball barely left the Espanyol half, but time and again, the visitors threw bodies in front of every shot. Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini made his move with three energetic substitutions as the 80th minute approached, bringing on fresh legs to break the deadlock. Isco, pulling every string from midfield, kept probing with his sharp passes and clever movement. Finally, his efforts paid off when Giovani Lo Celso, always alert around the box, collected a pass and shaped a left-footed finish into the bottom corner. The stadium erupted—a sense that maybe Betis could grab all three points after all.
With the game stretched and tired legs everywhere, Betis kept their foot on the gas. Espanyol, meanwhile, tried to run down the clock, with their defenders throwing themselves into challenge after challenge. The referee signaled for six minutes of extra time. Then, just one minute into stoppage, Antony provided his bit of magic—a moment that will live in Betis highlight reels for years. It was his first LaLiga goal since joining Betis, and he couldn’t have picked a better moment.
So what now for Betis? That makes 57 points, leaving them right in the thick of the top-four fight. Isco’s leadership and Antony’s clinical strike put Champions League dreams very much in reach. For Espanyol, the loss stings, but their fighting spirit on the road was about as good as it gets—except for the final, cruel twist. LaLiga’s drama is far from finished.