In the first round of the new season’s Europa League group stage, La Liga powerhouse Real Betis played against Premier League side Nottingham Forest at home.
Thanks to Anthony’s goal and assist, including a key goal near the end of the match, Betis eventually drew 2-2 with their opponents, successfully remaining unbeaten and gaining a valuable point.
Betis Continue in Europe, Forest Return After 29 Years
Real Betis finished sixth in La Liga last season, which means they will continue to qualify for the Europa League.
Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, finished seventh in the Premier League and became the dark horse of last season, returning to the European arena after 29 years.
It is worth mentioning that Forest coach Postecoglou led Tottenham to win the Europa League title last season; however, this season, he has led another Premier League team to participate in the competition.
Early Goals: End-to-End Battle
In the 15th minute, the home team, Betis, took the lead. Anthony broke through on the right and cut inside, then passed the ball diagonally into the penalty area. Bakambu received the ball and turned to shoot and score.
However, three minutes later, Nottingham Forest equalised. Gibbs White crossed in the penalty area, and Igor Jesus scored in front of the goal to change the score to 1-1.
Just five minutes later, Nottingham Forest scored again to complete the comeback. Douglas Luiz took a corner kick from the left, and Igor Jesus scored with a header in the penalty area to complete a brace, helping Forest lead Betis 2-1.
Antony’s Late Equalizer Saves Betis
The two sides exchanged attacks in the second half. In the 85th minute, Anthony received a pass from Marc Roca in the penalty area and pushed the ball into the net, helping the team tie the score at 2-2. The two sides eventually shook hands and made peace.
Antony Shines with a Goal and an Assist
Former Manchester United player Antony contributed an assist and a goal in this match, and his excellent performance helped the team successfully avoid defeat in the first round of the Europa League at home, earning a valuable point. After the match, he was named the best player with a game-high score of 9.
Antonio Sanabria returned to Real Betis on the last day of the summer transfer window, where he was on loan last season.
Although he missed the pre-season and the first three La Liga games, and has only been training with Real Betis for three weeks, he still showed an excellent competitive level when facing the Premier League team, injecting new vitality into Real Betis.
Betis vs Ludogorets, Forest vs Midtjylland
Next, Real Betis will play against the Bulgarian team Ludogorets away. Ludogorets beat Malmö 2-1 away in the first round. At the same time, Nottingham Forest will play against Danish powerhouse Midtjylland, who beat Sturm Graz 2-0 at home in the first round.
