‘What was he thinking?’ – Man United outcast Antony sent off for reckless tackle after sublime assist

It was all going so well for Antony, until he went flying in from behind on an unsuspecting defender.

The Manchester United winger, on loan at Real Betis, was continuing his incredible start in Spain before he picked up a regrettable red card.

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Antony picked the ball up in his own halfCredit: LaLiga YouTube

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Beat another opponentCredit: LaLiga YouTube

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Then set up Isco’s openerCredit: LaLiga YouTube

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He didn’t complete the match, howeverCredit: GettyAntony had three goals and an assist in his first five games in LaLiga and even added to that total during Betis’ 2-1 win over Getafe.

Picking up the ball from an attack on his own goal, he battled one Getafe player to regain possession, beat another with a terrific touch, then ran the length of the pitch to pick out Isco for the opener.

The Brazilian was in dreamland, particularly when Isco made it two in the 77th minute, but then in stoppage time he got overexcited.

Failing to latch onto a ball forward, left-back Omar Alderete claimed it and played it back to his goalkeeper, but as soon as the pass left his feet Antony flew in from behind two-footed.

read more on antonyAlderete hit the turf in agony, and it seemed for a moment like Antony did too, however, quickly realising his fate he sat up to see the referee approaching him with a red card.

Antony’s rush of blood to the head had fans reeling with one fan saying: “What was he thinking?”

Another said: “What an idiot.”

While this fan said: “Very, very unnecessary.”

The expulsion was the first straight red of his career, having twice been sent off for two yellow cards for Sao Paulo and Ajax.

The timing of the red couldn’t have been much worse, with Betis hosting Real Madrid on Saturday hoping to cause an upset and aid their charge towards European football.

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Antony was tracking back in stoppage time when he flew in from behindCredit: LaLiga YouTube

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The Brazilian took flight and wiped out his opponentCredit: LaLiga YouTube

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The red card looked pretty cut and dry even with Isco having a different opinionCredit: GettyIt also comes just days after Antony spoke about how happy he is in Sevilla, saying: “I am very happy here. Every day I wake up with a smile and that is very important.”

Antony will be missing for the clash against Madrid on Saturday, even though Betis’ star player Isco seems to think he has a chance.

“It was three points on a difficult pitch against a team that is very good at what it does,” the Spain midfielder said. 

“Now it’s time for Madrid to think and see if Antony’s expulsion can be reviewed. I don’t know if there was contact or not. We’ll see…”

There almost was certainly contact with Alderete’s back to Antony when he hit the deck, and Betis’ players were rightly fuming.

Among them was goalkeeper David Soria, who took on rival manager Manuel Pellegrini post-match.

Dutch Football Expert Says Antony Thought He Was A Baller In Eredivisie, but The Premier League Showed Him His Level

The shot-stopper took aim at the former Manchester City coach for time-wasting, saying: “They have done the opposite of what their coach is preaching. 

“He says that he is a football lover, that his team does not waste time and every time he plays against us he kills us. I imagine that he will not be happy with his team’s match.

“Three minutes of the six or eight added have been played, if he says it so much, he should lead by example, because of these people, we have the reputation [of time waster] and the others get away with it.”

Responding in his press conference, the 2014 Premier League winner said: “I think it was a game where we were superior to them, they hadn’t done anything before the goal. 

“I think it was a game well played by both teams, even Getafe, although they cut off the play a lot.

“I think that in the last minutes of the match everyone wasted time, I don’t think that the statements reflect what the match was like.”

Read More on talkSPORTThe win kept Betis in seventh, with only goal difference separating them from European football.

It also saw former Liverpool bench warmer Adrian start in goal for the away side, recording his third win in six starts.