It’s a historic occasion for Forest, but also a test for new manager Ange Postecoglou, who is still searching for his first win in charge. On the other side, Manuel Pellegrini’s Betis are aiming to build momentum after a strong weekend victory.
Betis earned their Europa League place with a sixth-place finish in La Liga last season, collecting 60 points from 38 games. After going all the way to the Conference League final last term – where they were beaten 4-1 by Chelsea – Los Verdiblancos are hungry to make another deep run in Europe.
Their group stage campaign sees them face Forest, Ludogorets, Genk, Lyon, Utrecht, and Dinamo Zagreb, with knockout qualification firmly in their sights. They warmed up in style at the weekend, defeating Real Sociedad 3-1 with goals from Cucho Hernández and Pablo Fornals, plus a helping hand from an own goal.
That result left Pellegrini’s men with two wins, three draws, and one defeat from their opening six La Liga fixtures – enough for sixth place at this early stage. Despite their temporary move to La Cartuja while the Estadio Benito Villamarín is redeveloped, Betis have settled well, winning two of their first three home matches there.
They also boast an impressive record in Europe’s group stages, losing just once in their last 18 games at this level (11 wins, 6 draws), a run that will give them plenty of confidence heading into this clash.
For Nottingham Forest, this night marks the end of a long wait. The last time they played in Europe was back in 1995-96, when they reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals before being knocked out by Bayern Munich.
Nuno Espírito Santo secured Forest’s return to continental competition with a seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season, which originally meant Conference League football. But when Crystal Palace were removed from Europe, Forest’s place was upgraded to the Europa League.
However, Nuno is no longer at the helm. A breakdown with owner Evangelos Marinakis saw him dismissed earlier this month, with the club turning to Postecoglou – a Europa League winner just last season with Tottenham – to take charge.
The Australian coach has yet to taste victory with his new side. Forest have endured a three-game winless start under him, falling to Arsenal and Swansea in league and cup before drawing 1-1 at Burnley on Saturday. Nico Williams gave them an early lead at Turf Moor, but Jaidon Anthony struck back to deny Postecoglou a first success.
The Tricky Trees are now five matches without a win in all competitions since their opening-day triumph over Brentford. As they travel to Seville, their aim will be clear: to pick up not just their first win under their new boss, but also their first away victory of the season.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Real Betis will once again be without creative midfielder Isco, who is still recovering from the ankle injury he picked up during pre-season. They will also have to cope without young forward Pablo Garcia, who is away with Spain’s Under-20 squad at the World Cup in Chile.
Manuel Pellegrini is also sweating on the fitness of Diego Llorente, Ricardo Rodriguez, and Nelson Deossa, with all three facing late fitness checks ahead of the game.
Nottingham Forest have their own concerns. Midfielder Nicolas Dominguez and defender Ola Aina are both expected to miss the trip to Spain through injury, while Omari Hutchinson is unavailable after being left out of the Europa League squad list.
There is some optimism, however, that centre-back Murillo could return after missing the last two matches with a knock. If he is passed fit, he is likely to slot straight back into the heart of the defence alongside Nikola Milenkovic. Meanwhile, winger Callum Hudson-Odoi is pushing for a place in the starting lineup after impressing off the bench in Saturday’s draw with Burnley.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Real Betis possible starting lineup:
Valles; Bellerin, Bartra, Natan, Firpo; Fornals, Altimira; Antony, Lo Celso, Ezzalzouli; Cucho
Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:
Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato; Luiz, Anderson; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
Real Betis 2-1 Nottingham Forest
