Antony and Abde Secure Victory Against Lyon

Real Betis faced a challenging encounter with the visit of Olympique Lyon. The French team had won all their matches in this Europa League and boasted a clean sheet, but they met a Betis side led by two standout players: Abde and Antony. Abde opened the scoring with a clever goal from a corner, and six minutes later, Antony scored a stunning goal with a perfect chip following a superb assist from Marc Roca. Their goals and contributions were pivotal in Betis' victory, keeping them unbeaten and close to the top 8.

The match started slowly, with both teams seemingly content to feel each other out. The pace was low, and possession was largely ineffective, making Álvaro Valles and Greif mere spectators. Antony then decided to inject some pace into the game, inspiring Abde to turn the wings into a source of danger for a Lyon side that seemed content to let the minutes pass. A ball recovery by Marc Roca allowed Abde to test Greif, who deflected the ball for a corner. From the resulting corner, taken by Lo Celso, Bakambu's flick found Abde, who scored the first goal Lyon conceded in the competition.

With momentum on their side, Antony nearly scored a second, but his shot went just wide. These were Betis' best moments against a disoriented Lyon with no response. Marc Roca delivered a 60-meter pass, breaking the French team's structure, allowing Antony to let the ball bounce and, without needing a touch, chip it over the towering Greif to make it 2-0. Betis capitalized on their superiority with goals and took a breather, which Lyon used to discover Betis had a goalkeeper with two timid long-range shots.

Paulo Fonseca made changes at halftime, seeking to offer more than in the first half, and Merah nearly surprised Álvaro Valles early on. Lyon's step forward was noticeable in possession and attacks, but it posed little threat to a Betis side that understood the game was in their favour, waiting to counterattack down either wing. The match entered a phase of inaccuracies, and Betis lost control, which was dangerous, but they surprisingly had the clearest chance after Bakambu's run and Abde's shot that rolled across the goal.

Lyon dominated possession and attacks but failed to narrow the scoreline against a Betis side content with the result. They could have extended the lead, but the referee did not deem Kluivert's contact with Fornals a penalty, despite a VAR check. The match concluded with minutes for bench players and ovations for the two stars of the game: Abde and Antony.