Antony hits rock bottom, losing his game and his smile

Real Betis Balompié

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Antony
8.270.000€-80.000€5

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Real Betis keep racking up wins and cementing their place near the top of LaLiga, but there is one player who appears to have lost his smile. Antony is going through one of the toughest spells since his arrival at the green-and-white side, and his display on Sunday against Elche has sounded the alarm bells again.

The Brazilian was in the starting line-up at the Martinez Valero, but he was once again sloppy, with trouble beating opponents and without that ability to unbalance defences that had Betis fans so excited. Pellegrini eventually took him off in the 68th minute to bring on Aitor Ruibal, a decision that did not go down well with the winger, who was visibly angry on the bench.

A shadow of the Antony who won over the Betis faithful

The main problem is not just the lack of goals. Antony has gone more than five months without scoring and his attacking contribution is a long way off what was expected. He has lost confidence in one-on-ones, his decisions in the final third are not coming off and it is getting harder for him to make an impact.

He also failed to respond on the trip to Borussia Dortmund, where he again produced a subdued display. What is worrying is that Betis keep functioning and finding attacking solutions while one of the players expected to make the difference still has not rediscovered his level.

Aitor Ruibal threatens his place in the side

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Aitor Ruibal
1.140.000€+50.000€5

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The situation is starting to get even more complicated with the return of Aitor Ruibal. The versatile player is making the most of his chances and again looked sharp against Elche, after scoring in Dortmund.

Pellegrini has continued to trust Antony despite his dip in form, but the competition is increasing and his status as an undisputed starter could soon come under threat if he does not manage to react after the international break. 

Fantasy recommendation

In fantasy terms, Antony is delivering well below expectations for a player of his market value in Comunio. His latest performances have produced modest scores and plenty of doubts among managers who backed him heavily. His quality is beyond question, but the lack of goals and attacking influence means that, at present, he is a fairly risky investment.

Our recommendation is to keep him if he is already in your squad, but avoid signing him for now. We believe the Brazilian can rediscover his best form, so we do not think there is any need to rush into selling him. However, if we have that budget available to strengthen our team, we would look for more reliable and consistent alternatives, capable of delivering better scores for a similar price. Antony still has the potential to make the difference, but right now there are more appealing fantasy options on the market.