UCL: 'He has turned prime Messi - Manchester United outcast stuns fans with devastating nutmeg

• The European Masterclass: Antony played a pivotal role from start to finish as La Liga side Real Betis edged out 10-man French outfit Lille in a thrilling 3-2 victory.

• The Viral Nutmeg: The Brazilian winger went completely viral after executing a clean, gravity-defying nutmeg that was officially highlighted by UEFA’s media channels.

• The Old Trafford Trauma: Furious and amazed football fans have united on social media to claim that Manchester United almost destroyed the forward's raw talent, noting he looks entirely refreshed since dumping the Premier League giants.

Real Betis winger Antony on Tuesday night enjoyed a triumphant return to the UEFA Champions League, putting on an impressive display to guide the Spanish La Liga side to a hard-fought 3-2 victory over French Ligue 1 club Lille. 

The 26-year-old Brazilian forward, who featured from start to finish for the hosts, dominated the encounter as the French side finished the five-goal thriller with ten men. 

Antony registered an 89% pass accuracy, created three goal-scoring chances, made three key passes, fired a match-high six shots, and maintained a flawless 100% record for successful individual take-ons during the European fixture.

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However, it was a moment of extraordinary individual skill from the former Ajax star that generated the most reactions across various social media platforms. 

Antony executed a clean, effortless nutmeg against his tracking marker, an incident that was quickly acknowledged and shared online by UEFA's official media channels. 

The timeline dissolved into immediate intensive banter as supporters globally argued that the player has experienced a complete career resurrection since departing England. 

One fan noted, "Since Antony left Manchester United he has turned into prime Messi," while another observer added, "The nutmeg was clean, but that celebration afterward was personal. Bro finally found his Brazilian passport."

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The post-match discussion quickly turned into a heavy condemnation of Manchester United’s modern football structure, with many alleging that the English club systematically drains the raw talent out of global superstars. 

"United really almost destroyed this talented guy," a supporter tweeted on X. "He is so refreshed after that horror of a club." Meanwhile, rival fans threw cold water on the trending clip, warning that Spanish opposition will provide a much sterner test soon. 

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A Real Madrid fan noted, "Antony doing a nutmeg in a Betis shirt and they post it like it's a worldie. Vini does that every week against better defenders. Wait until they draw Madrid and Carvajal or Valverde shut that down in two seconds."