Man Utd's "surplus man" surprises all of Europe

(Dan Tri) - Two stars considered "failures" of Man Utd, midfielder Antony and goalkeeper Andre Onana, unexpectedly shone brightly last weekend, reminding of their true class on all European football fields.

Antony scored an impressive double in La Liga

Brazilian winger Antony was in fine form, scoring two goals for Real Betis in their 3-0 win over Mallorca in La Liga. The first goal came from a crisp one-two, which ended with a left-footed strike from outside the box. The second was a run down the right flank, followed by a beautiful curling shot into the far corner.

Antony joined Man Utd for £81 million ($107 million) in 2022, but he struggled to find his best form at Old Trafford. However, since moving to Betis on loan in January, he has quickly settled in and made an important contribution, helping the Spanish side reach the UEFA Conference League final.

Antony quickly became Betis' shining star (Photo: Getty).

The victory over Mallorca helped Betis take 5th place in the rankings and officially join the race for a ticket to the Champions League.

Despite making his mark with two goals and an assist, Antony still couldn't hide his regret at missing the chance to score a hat-trick. "I'm very happy with two goals and an assist, but it's a pity the third goal didn't come. I had space and controlled the ball, but the opposing goalkeeper did very well," Antony told Mundo Deportivo.

Antony’s performance against Mallorca was arguably his best of the season. The Brazilian was instrumental in all three of Betis’ goals, showing a huge influence on the team’s play. This may have been a bit of a disappointment for Man Utd, who only managed to get £21m from selling Antony to Betis on deadline day after a gruelling summer of negotiations.

The Spanish media has been full of praise for Antony. AS wrote that he "dazzled everyone" with his performances. "His quality is extremely important, which is why Betis invested so much in Antony this summer," AS commented.

The paper also detailed Antony's performance: "Antony pressed from the flanks before cutting inside, combining with Cucho and Bellerin twice, creating two very different shots: one low and one curling into the far corner. As if that wasn't enough, he also assisted the third goal with a precise pass to Abde."

With his two goals, Antony has now equalled his Man Utd goalscoring record in just a few games for Betis. The Brazilian played 62 Premier League games for Man Utd and scored five goals, he has scored the same number of goals in just 17 games for Betis.

Onana shines in Istanbul Derby

Onana has kept four clean sheets in seven appearances for Trabzonspor (Photo: Getty).

Goalkeeper Andre Onana, another expensive signing for the Red Devils, has struggled to find form in England. However, Onana's form has improved dramatically since moving to Turkey. Last weekend, he helped Trabzonspor to a goalless draw in the Istanbul derby with Galatasaray.

Onana saved all six of Galatasaray's shots on target, including a last-gasp save to earn a valuable point for his new club. Remarkably, Onana became the first Trabzonspor goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet at Galatasaray's Ali Sami Yen Stadium in nine years.

The Cameroon goalkeeper is currently on loan at Trabzonspor from Man Utd. According to ESPN, there is no clause in the deal for Trabzonspor to make it permanent, meaning Onana could return to Old Trafford after the current season.

While at Man Utd, Onana was often heavily criticized for his mistakes. However, Türkiye has become a good land for the Cameroonian goalkeeper. Onana kept 4 clean sheets in 7 appearances for Trabzonspor, helping his team to 4 wins, 2 draws and only 1 loss. Trabzonspor is currently 3rd in the Super Lig table, 5 points behind leaders Galatasaray.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/nguoi-thua-cua-man-utd-khien-ca-chau-au-ngo-ngang-20251103200700825.htm