Antony vs Darwin Nunez: The Stage Is Set for the Renewal of Rivalry After Previous Clash in Champions League

Antony vs Darwin Nunez: The Stage Is Set for the Renewal of Rivalry After Previous Clash in Champions League

Martin Moses
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:10 PM
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  • Antony and new Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez could carry their one-time face-off to the Premier League when they next meet each other
  • Antony, who will soon be a Manchester United player, was once involved in a scuffle with Nunez in a Champions League tie with their former clubs
  • Manchester United have already claimed Liverpool's scalp in the first round this season at Old Trafford

Brazilian wonderkid Antony is now a step away from joining Manchester United officially. The club has already confirmed that an agreement has already been reached with Ajax for the transfer of the explosive winger.

He is set to become Manchester United's third-most expensive signing of all time. He will be reunited with his former head coach Erik ten hag, who took over the Red Devils' hot seat earlier in the summer.

Darwin Nunez, Antony, Ajax, Manchester United, Liverpool, Benfica, Jan Vertonghen, Champions League, headbutts in football
Antony and Darwin Nunez once squared off during a clash between Ajax and Benfica in the Champions League. Photo by Eric Verhoeven.
Source: Getty Images

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But even as the United faithful prepare to witness the talented winger firsthand, another spectacle is also loading on the horizon. Antony was involved in a heated exchange with former Benfica striker, now with Liverpool, Darwin Nunez.

Ajax and Benfica met in last season's round of 16 Champions League. Sport Bible reports that the affair was feisty, with the first leg ending in a two-all draw in Lisbon.

But it was the confrontation between Antony and Nunez that Premier League fans will want to see carried to the epic Manchester United and Liverpool games. The tie is usually a rivalry of its own, with the two clubs the most successful ones in the top-flight division.

Antony appeared to headbutt Nunez but no luckily for him, no retrospective action was taken. It is the same incident that Nunez has already been red carded for this season after an altercation with Crystal Palace's defender Joachim Andersen.

Chances of the two squaring up are minimal, given that they both operate on opposite ends of the pitch, but the reunion will be an enthralling spectacle.

Ajax manager blasts Antony for shameful conduct

Sports Brief had earlier reported that Ajax manager Alfred Schreuder has registered his displeasure with the conduct of Brazilian forward Antony ahead of his transfer to Manchester United.

Antony was excluded from Schreuder's last two league games, with the 22-year-old pushing hard to be released and refusing to train with his teammates.

Ajax had rejected multiple bids for Antony but had to finally succumb after Manchester United increased their offer to a price that met the valuation of the Dutch giants.

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Martin Moses
Martin Moses is a sports journalist with over five years of experience in media. He graduated from Multimedia University of Kenya (Bachelor of Journalism, 2017-2021)
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