'Broke through on Holy Thursday' - How the Spanish media reacted to Antony's Real Betis setting up Conference League semi-final with David de Gea's Fiorentina

Thursday night saw four teams book their places in the Conference League semi-finals. Chelsea and Djurgarden are due to meet in the other semi-final, but there will be reunion between two high-profile former Premier League teammates when Real Betis take on Fiorentina in the other fixture.

Antony played 81 minutes as Betis secured a 1-1 draw against Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok which sent them through, while David de Gea and his Fiorentina side were able to see off Slovenian outfit NK Celje 4-3 on aggregate.

The Spanish media were full of praise for Betis. MARCA admitted the win opened up the possibility of the 2024-25 campaign being a "historic one", though they also asserted that English outfit Chelsea, who were surprisingly beaten at home by Legia Warsaw despite going through on aggregate, are the "big favourites" to claim the trophy.

The same publication reported on Betis' celebrations come full-time. "Music, chants, and dancing reflected the euphoria of a team that, minutes earlier, still on the pitch, had celebrated with the nearly 500 Betis fans who had traveled to Bialystok" as they progressed on Holy Thursday.

AS commented on the cagey state of the game, but finished by claiming "The semifinal is in Betis's hands, and so is history. But everyone wants more."

Betis and Fiorentina's quarter-final success means two former Manchester United teammates will square off for a place in the Conference League final. Antony has been a player reborn since leaving the Red Devils on loan in January, contributing two goals and two assists in ten La Liga matches, but his next task will be to overcome old ally De Gea.

Antony and De Gea have domestic duties to get through before the first leg of their semi-final, which takes place at Betis' Estadio Benito Villamarin on Thursday 1 May. The success of Spanish teams in Europe means the country will have five Champions League spots available through La Liga, with Betis currently sitting sixth. Fiorentina, meanwhile, are eighth in Serie A, with De Gea keeping 11 clean sheets.