Former Manchester United winger Antony has failed to register a goal or assist in his opening eight La Liga appearances for Real Betis this season, with Manuel Pellegrini identifying the area the Brazilian must improve ahead of Saturday's clash with Barcelona.

Antony's move to Spain initially appeared to have transformed his career after a disappointing spell at Old Trafford, where he struggled to justify the £85m fee Manchester United paid Ajax in September 2022.

The 26-year-old rediscovered his confidence at Betis, becoming an influential figure in Pellegrini's attack and helping the Spanish side establish themselves as European contenders.

However, his impressive revival has suffered a setback at the beginning of the 2026-27 campaign.

Antony has played eight La Liga matches, accumulating approximately 540 minutes without scoring or providing an assist, despite remaining heavily involved in Betis's attacking play.

The statistics contrast sharply with his performances last season, when he registered 14 goals and 10 assists across all competitions, even while struggling with a persistent groin problem.

With Barcelona visiting the Estadio de La Cartuja on Saturday, Pellegrini has now acknowledged that his winger needs to show greater composure in decisive attacking situations.

Pellegrini identifies Antony's biggest weakness amid scoring drought

Speaking at Friday's pre-match press conference, Pellegrini admitted that Antony's performances have been inconsistent but stressed that the Brazilian retains the confidence of the coaching staff and his teammates.

The former Manchester City manager believes Antony is still doing important work for the side, particularly through his willingness to take on defenders and create opportunities.

However, he wants greater accuracy when those promising attacking situations reach their final stage.

"He is taking players on and has the confidence to keep trying," Pellegrini explained, as quoted by AS.

"He needs a little more composure to deliver the final pass with greater precision."

The assessment reflects a frustrating start to the campaign for a player whose resurgence in Spain had helped repair his reputation following his Manchester United struggles.

Despite his lack of goals, Antony has not stopped attempting to influence matches.

Earlier this month, Spanish newspaper AS highlighted that the winger had recorded 32 shots in La Liga, placing him among the competition's most active players in front of goal.

Only Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal had attempted more shots at that stage, underlining the difference between Antony's involvement in attacking situations and his actual output.

Pellegrini's comments suggest that Betis are more concerned with improving the quality of Antony's final decisions than reducing his attacking freedom.

The Chilean continues to value his defensive contributions and willingness to take responsibility in possession, qualities that helped make him an important player during his first full season in Seville.

Antony has also contributed in Europe, registering an assist during Betis's opening two Champions League fixtures.

Nevertheless, his lack of direct goal contributions in domestic competition represents an unwelcome development for a player who arrived in Spain hoping to put his difficult United experience firmly behind him.

Antony faces Barcelona test after distressing incident at home

Antony's latest challenge comes during a particularly difficult week away from football.

The Brazilian revealed on Thursday that his family home in Seville had been burgled while he was playing in Betis's 3-2 Champions League victory over Porto the previous evening.

In an emotional statement on social media, Antony expressed his anger and frustration, explaining that the effect on his family's sense of security was more upsetting than the loss of possessions.

Pellegrini also addressed the incident during Friday's press conference, confirming that Antony's son had been at the property when the burglary occurred.

"It is a fairly serious setback. His son was at home when they broke in to steal," the Betis manager said.

"It is not easy to accept, although fortunately there were only material consequences, and those can always be resolved."

Antony trained normally on Friday and remains available for the weekend's meeting with Barcelona.

Betis face a formidable challenge against Hansi Flick's side, who have won all 10 of their competitive matches this season and established themselves as La Liga's most prolific attacking team.

Pellegrini nevertheless believes his players can create opportunities against the league leaders, provided they show sufficient concentration and efficiency.

"Barcelona have enormous finishing ability and players with great creativity," he explained.

"We have to be very attentive throughout the match and take the chances we create."

For Antony, the fixture offers an opportunity to demonstrate that his current scoring drought does not represent a return to the difficulties that defined his Manchester United career.

Pellegrini has made clear that his confidence in the winger remains intact, but the Brazilian must now convert his attacking involvement into the goals and assists that made his Betis revival such a success.