Manchester United player Antony had a smooth start at Real Betis before the match against Getafe. However, the Brazilian will now be absent from the Real Madrid game after receiving an unnecessary red card.
Antony has scored two goals and provided one assist in his first three La Liga appearances. He also scored in his Europa Conference League debut for Real Betis. The 24-year-old added another assist against Getafe but was sent off in the second half.
Antony had little hope of winning the ball when he fell into a dispute with Juan Iglesias and was sent off a direct red card. However, the 2000-born striker was not the only one sent off, with Getafe's Domingos Duarte receiving a second yellow card just two minutes later.
Real Betis were able to win 2-1 despite finishing the match with 10 men. However, Antony's sadness did not end when the final whistle blew. The suspension means Antony will not be able to participate in the match against Real Madrid.
This was Real Betis' second consecutive victory after Antony scored and assisted in the 3-0 victory over Real Sociedad. "I can't tell you about Antony being sent off because I didn't witness it. But it's a pity that we won't have him in the next match.
Antony has brought us a lot, we will miss him in the next match. This will be a lesson for him" - coach Manuel Pellegrini said.
Pellegrini's side are currently 7th in La Liga after their latest win, 13 points behind the top four. Real Betis also reached the round of 16 of the Europa Conference League despite losing in the second leg of the play-off against Gent. They will face Portuguese side Vitoria, with the first leg taking place on 6 March.
Antony's loan deal with Real Betis is for 5 months. Under the agreement with Man United, Real Betis will pay 84% of Antony's salary, equivalent to more than 100,000 pounds/week.
However, the Spanish team expressed their desire to keep Antony for a long time. Meanwhile, the "Red Devils" are also willing to sell Antony to recover part of the £85 million they spent to recruit him in 2022 from Ajax.
