Bakambu celebra su gol junto a Antony.
Image credit: Getty Images
Real Betis swept past Gent 3-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League knockout play-off at the Planet Group Arena.
Manuel Pellegrini's Verdiblancos were in full control in Belgium, with January recruit from Manchester United Antony netting the well-struck opener on 47 minutes, before Cedric Bakambu and Sergi Altimira wrapped up the win.
Antony's strike was what you had come to expect of the Brazilian right-winger from his time with Ajax, as he cut in off the flank onto his left foot, before sliding an accurate finish into the far corner.
The 24-year-old, who joined United for £86 million in 2022, now has two goals and an assist in his first three games in Seville.
Earlier, Panathinaikos suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Vikingur, with the Icelandic side good value for their historic 2-1 victory, which was secured through David Orn Atlason and Matthias Vilhjalmsson's goals either side of half-time.
Rui Vitoria's visitors halved the deficit late on thanks to Fotis Ioannidis' penalty, [awarded in confusing circumstances](https://www.eurosport.com/football/uefa-europa-conference-league/2024-2025/confusion-reigns-as-very-harsh-penalty-awarded-to-panathinaikos-after-referee-goes-to-wrong-var-screen_sto20081028/story.shtml), but could not prevent their opponents becoming the first Icelandic club to win a UEFA knock-out match.
Bundesliga outfit Heidenheim needed a late Tim Siersleben winner to sneak ahead of Copenhagen in Denmark, after the hosts had taken the lead on the stroke of half-time through Jordan Larsson.
Thomas Keller levelled a minute shy of the hour for Frank Schmidt's side, and the turnaround was complete when Siersleben slotted home into the bottom corner to give Heidenheim - who are languishing in 16th in the German top flight at present - a precious 2-1 victory.
Drawing 1-1, Cypriot rivals Omonoia and Pafos will need another 90 minutes to split them after Willy Semedo's penalty was cancelled out by Mislav Orsic's 84th-minute finish, but that was not before Muamer Tankovic had missed his own spot-kick to level the scores 11 minutes earlier.
Borac Banja Luka of Bosnia and Herzegovina needed a stoppage-time winner from Sandi Ogrinec to beat ten-man Olimpija 1-0, while Polish champions Jagiellonia Bialystok beat Serbian side Backa Topola 3-1 at the TSC Arena.
One-time UEFA Champions League quarter-finalists APOEL Nicosia take a 2-2 draw back to Cyprus with them after a dramatic affair against Celje.
Armandas Kucys put the home side ahead inside two minutes, before David Abagna levelled.
Kucys notched his second 15 minutes into the second half, but centre-half Konstantinos Laifis replied with a header from a Sergio Tejera corner, and the visitors were reduced to 10 as Lasha Dvali saw red for a second bookable offence shortly after.
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