Betis vs Panathinaikos – News and Probable Lineups

Real Betis will host Panathinaikos at La Cartuja for the Europa League round of 16 on Thursday.

The Greek club brings a slim advantage into the second leg following a 1-0 win in last week’s encounter in Athens.

Match overview

Betis reached this stage after securing fourth place in the group stage, accumulating five wins, two draws, and only one loss across their eight fixtures.

However, they suffered their second defeat of the knockout stage in the first leg against Panathinaikos, putting them in a challenging position if they aim to advance far in another European tournament after finishing as the runners-up in the Conference League last season.

Los Verdiblancos followed that result up with a 1-1 draw in La Liga over the weekend against sixth-placed Celta Vigo, maintaining a three-point cushion over the Galician team as they compete for fifth place.

Although they managed to avoid a loss, this marked their fifth consecutive match without a win following back-to-back victories against Atletico Madrid and Mallorca.

Having scored just once in their last three matches, Betis must regain their scoring form if they wish to stay in contention for their inaugural European trophy.

The home side can at least take encouragement from their previous three home victories in the Europa League against Lyon, Utrecht, and Feyenoord.

Unlike Betis, Panathinaikos had to navigate a knockout playoff round against Viktoria Plzen after finishing in the 17th position during the group stage.

The Greek giants managed to draw both legs against Plzen before prevailing 4-3 in the penalty shootout in the Czech Republic.

Rafael Benitez’s team will strive to avoid a similar penalty shootout in Thursday’s clash, holding a slight edge following a thrilling first leg that saw two players sent off.

Anass Zaroury was shown a red card for two yellow card offenses just before the hour mark, and then Betis defender Diego Llorente conceded a late penalty leading to a second yellow card, which allowed Vicente Taborda to convert from the spot for the win.

Panathinaikos followed that successful result with a disappointing goalless draw in the Greek Super League against Panetolikos, although they have now extended their unbeaten streak to nine matches across all competitions.

That streak will boost their confidence, but Panathinaikos knows they must still perform well to reach their first European quarter-final since the 2002-03 UEFA Cup, especially given that they have lost 14 of their last 19 European matches against Spanish teams (W2, D3).

Team News

Betis head coach Manuel Pellegrini will still be without Giovani Lo Celso and Isco due to injuries to their thigh and ankle, respectively.

Llorente is unable to play on Thursday due to a suspension received for his red card in the first leg in Greece.

Pellegrini is expected to implement several changes from the squad that faced Celta, with Pau Lopez, Ricardo Rodriguez, Sergi Altimira, and Antony likely to feature in the second leg.

For the visitors, Zaroury will also serve a one-match suspension following his dismissal in the first leg.

Panathinaikos may also miss Giannis Kotsiras and Erik Palmer-Brown, who are dealing with injuries.

Moussa Sissoko, Tonny Vilhena, Adriano Jagusic, Pavlos Pantelidis, and Lucas Chaves have not been included in the Europa League squad, making them ineligible to play.

Real Betis probable starting XI:

Lopez; Ruibal, Bartra, Nathan, Rodriguez; Roca, Altimira; Anthony, Fornals, Abde; Cucho

Panathinaikos probable starting XI:

Lafont; Katris, Ingason, Touba; Calabria, Sanches, Gnezda Cerin, Kyriakopoulos; Pellistri, Taborda; Tetteh

While Betis may currently be playing at a temporary home due to renovations at the Benito Villamarin, they have turned La Cartuja into a fortress during this European campaign, and they are expected to capitalize on their home advantage to tilt the round of 16 match in their favor.