Antony's late equalizer for Real Betis denies Nottingham Forest a win in Europa League

Antony scored a late equalizer to rescue a 2-2 draw for Real Betis against Nottingham Forest in the Europa League on Thursday in the English team's return to European competition after three decades.

Igor Jesus scored two first-half goals to put Forest 2-1 ahead but Antony, the former Manchester United forward, struck five minutes from time to deny the visitors a first win under coach Ange Postecoglou since the former Tottenham manager took over from the fired Nuno Espírito Santo.

Forest reached the quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup, the predecessor of the current second-tier competition, in the 1995-96 season but hasn’t been back in Europe until now.

Jesus netted his first in the 18th minute, three minutes after Cédric Bakambu put Betis 1-0 up with a high shot from inside the area. Morgan Gibbs-White crossed from the right for the Brazilian forward to tap in the equalizer. Another five minutes later, Jesus surged into the box to head in a second goal in his second competitive start since his transfer from Botafogo in July.

Postecoglou was fired by Tottenham in June despite winning the Europa League for Spurs’ first trophy in 17 years after a season in which they endured their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 17th.

Forest is in the Europa League instead of Crystal Palace, the English FA Cup winner which was demoted by UEFA in a complex case relating to owners having stakes in multiple clubs. Crystal Palace will play the third-tier Conference League.

Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv held PAOK to a 0-0 draw amid a heavy police presence and protests in Thessaloniki.

Maccabi had a first-half goal disallowed due to offside as both sides wasted a number of decent chances to score.

PAOK fans booed Maccabi at the start, waved Palestinian flags and unveiled a big banner near the pitch in the first half which read “Show Israel the Red Card.”

In the other early game, Danish side Midtjylland beat Austria’s Sturm Graz 2-0.

Sturm goalkeeper Oliver Christensen’s own goal following a corner kick became the first goal of the league phase. Ousane Diao headed home the second close to the end.

Several protesters were detained ahead of the game between PAOK and Maccabi in Thessaloniki.

Two small protests took place in the northern Greek city, calling for Israeli clubs to be expelled from European competition in response to mass casualties in the war in Gaza. Protesters unfurled a banner reading “Genocide” in English from scaffolding on a building complex that also houses the U.S. consulate.

Police conducted a large-scale security operation outside the stadium while while bomb squad sniffer dogs inspected the site.

Some 120 Israeli fans were held held behind a police cordon while the Maccabi team bus was escorted by a police special forces unit to the 28,000-seat Toumba Stadium.

Evan N’Dicka and and Gianluca Mancini struck twice three minutes apart early in the second half as Rome handed Nice a 2-1 home defeat. N’Dicka headed in a corner from substitute Lorenze Pellegrini and Mancini volleyed home a cross from Kostas Tsimikas.

Terem Moffi pulled one back from the spot for the hosts.

Nice's Brazilian captain Dante became the oldest outfield player in the Europa League at age 41 years, 11 months.

More than 100 Roma supporters had been arrested in Nice ahead of the match.

A violent altercation broke out Tuesday night and objects were thrown at police officers, while Nice fans reportedly riled up their Roma counterparts by chanting “there’s only Lazio in Rome.” Lazio is Roma’s fierce rival in the Italian capital.

The two sets of fans reportedly never came into contact as they couldn’t breach the police lines.

In other games, Patrick Osterhage struck in the first half and Maximilian Eggestein in the second to earn a 2-1 win for Bundesliga’s Freiburg over Swiss champion Basel, while Fenerbahce was beaten 3-1 by Dinamo in Zagreb in its first game in Europe since coach José Mourinho left the club.

Substitute Fran Navarro scored the lone goal and Braga opened its campaign with a 1-0 win over Feyenoord.

Ludogorets upset Malmö 2-1 in Sweden.

Aston Villa hosts Bologna among the remaining first-round matches on Thursday.

The Europa League uses the same 36-team league format as the Champions League. Teams play eight different opponents during the league phase and are ranked in a single-standings table.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Celtic's Kelechi Iheanacho, right, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Europa League soccer match between Red Star and Celtic at the Rajko Mitic Stadium in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Freiburg's Maximilian Eggestein, second left, scores their side's second goal of the game during the Europa League soccer match between SC Freiburg and FC Basel at the Europa-Park Stadium in Freiburg Im Breisgau, Germany, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)

Betis' Cedric Bakambu reacts after scoring during the Europa League soccer match between Real Betis and Nottingham Forest in Seville, Spain, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

Nottingham Forest's Igor Jesus scores during the Europa League soccer match between Real Betis and Nottingham Forest in Seville, Spain, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

Pro-Palestinian protesters, most of them PAOK fans, gather ahead of a Europa League soccer match between PAOK and Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv in the port city of Thessaloniki, northern Greece, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Park fans display a huge banner that reads "show Israel the red card during the Europa League soccer match between PAOK and Maccabi Tel Aviv at Toumpa stadium, in Thessaloniki, Greece, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

PAOK'S fans hold Palestinian Flags during the Europa League soccer match between PAOK and Maccabi Tel Aviv at Toumpa stadium, in Thessaloniki, Greece, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

PAOK's Giannis Konstantelias, second left, tries to score during the Europa League soccer match between PAOK and Maccabi Tel Aviv at Toumpa stadium, in Thessaloniki, Greece, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Kervin Andrade runs for the ball ahead of PAOK's Giannis Michailidis during the Europa League soccer match between PAOK and Maccabi Tel Aviv at Toumpa stadium, in Thessaloniki, Greece, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Nottingham Forest's head coach Ange Postecoglou watches the play during the Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest in London, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood (centre) battles with Burnley's Hjalmar Ekdal (left) and Josh Laurent during the English Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Nottingham Forest , at Turf Moor, Burnley, England, Saturday Sept. 20, 2025. (Ian Hodgson /PA via AP)

FRIBOURG, Switzerland (AP) — Canada beat Slovenia 3-1 to make it five wins from five games at the ice hockey world championship on Friday.

Emmitt Finnie led with a goal and an assist and Denton Mateychuk and Dylan Cozens also scored. Jet Greaves stopped 13 shots as Canada outshot Slovenia 32-14.

Mateychuk, playing in his first worlds, skated to the top of the left circle before shooting past Slovenia goaltender Zan Us at 11:07 in the opening period.

Cozens added the second from the slot with 6:46 remaining in the middle period for his third goal in Switzerland. Sidney Crosby bagged his sixth assist at the tournament.

Finnie made it 3-0 by deflecting in a shot by Morgan Rielly from the blue line in the final period.

Rozle Bohinc scored a consolation goal for Slovenia with 1:05 left.

Canada tops Group B in Fribourg with Slovakia trailing by three points. The teams meet on Sunday.

Canada has won four games in regulation and one in overtime.

In a Group A in Zurich, Germany downed Hungary 6-2 for its first victory at the worlds after four defeats. Leon Gawanke sparked the Germans with a hat trick.

Later Friday, Finland played Britain in Zurich and Sweden faced Italy in Fribourg.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Canada's Sidney Crosby, left, vies for the puck against Slovenia's Miha Bericic, right, during a preliminary round game between Canada and Slovenia at the men's ice hockey world championship in Fribourg, Switzerland, Friday May 22, 2026. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)

Canada's Emmitt Finnie, left, clashes against Slovenia's goaltender Zan Us, right, during a preliminary round game between Canada and Slovenia at the men's ice hockey world championship in Fribourg, Switzerland, Friday May 22, 2026. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)

Canada's Dylan Cozens, second right, celebrates his goal with his teammates Canada's Canada's Macklin Celebrini, left, Sidney Crosby, left, and Canada's Denton Mateychuk, right, centre, after scoring during a preliminary round game between Canada and Slovenia at the men's ice hockey world championship in Fribourg, Switzerland, Friday May 22, 2026. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)

Slovenia's goaltender Zan Us, left, concedes his second goal past Slovenia's Blaz Gregorc, right, and Canada's Sidney Crosby, center, during a preliminary round game between Canada and Slovenia at the men's ice hockey world championship in Fribourg, Switzerland, Friday May 22, 2026. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)

Canada's Emmitt Finnie, right, clashes against Slovenia's goaltender Zan Us during a preliminary round game between Canada and Slovenia at the men's ice hockey world championship in Fribourg, Switzerland, Friday May 22, 2026. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)