Real Betis – Panathinaikos: Betis go all-in at La Cartuja to erase a 1-0 deficit
Real Betis – Panathinaikos shifts to La Cartuja on Thursday for the Europa League last-16 second leg, with the Spanish side needing to overturn a 1-0 defeat from the first meeting in Athens to keep their European campaign alive.
What the first leg left behind in Real Betis – Panathinaikos
The tie arrives in Seville with Panathinaikos holding a narrow advantage after a 1-0 win in Greece. The first leg turned on a dramatic late sequence that included two red cards: Anass Zaroury was sent off for two bookable offences just shy of the hour, and Betis defender Diego Llorente conceded a late penalty that also resulted in a second yellow card. Vicente Taborda converted from the spot to decide the match.
For Betis, the loss was described as their second defeat of the main draw, creating immediate pressure on the return fixture. It also left them searching for a sharper edge in front of goal after scoring just once across their last three outings. That lack of goals has become a central issue heading into Thursday: Betis need to win, and they need to score.
How Manuel Pellegrini is reshaping the second leg of Real Betis – Panathinaikos
Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini goes into the match without two key midfield options: Giovani Lo Celso is out with a thigh injury and Isco is sidelined with an ankle issue. Llorente is suspended for the second leg after the dismissal in Athens.
Pellegrini is set to make multiple changes from the lineup that started the most recent league match, a 1-1 La Liga home draw against sixth-placed Celta Vigo. That result kept Betis three points clear of Celta in the fight for fifth place, but also extended a winless run to five consecutive matches since back-to-back victories over Atletico Madrid and Mallorca.
Several players are in contention to start the second leg: Pau Lopez, Ricardo Rodriguez, Sergi Altimira and Antony. Separately, Betis are described as fielding a starting eleven “full of firepower” to chase the comeback at La Cartuja, with Cucho, Fornals, Antony, Amrabat, Abde and Ruibal named as starters in that attacking-minded setup. The intent is explicit: Betis are putting everything on the line over these 90 minutes, counting on home support to force the turnaround.
Form lines and the narrow margin heading into Real Betis – Panathinaikos
Betis enter Thursday with a home record in this season’s Europa League that offers a clear reference point. They have won each of their previous three Europa League home games against Lyon, Utrecht and Feyenoord, a run they will look to extend with the stakes far higher in the knockout phase.
Panathinaikos, meanwhile, come off a goalless draw against Panetolikos in the Greek Super League, a result that still extended their unbeaten run to nine matches in all competitions. In Europe this season, they reached this stage after finishing 17th in the league phase and then navigating a knockout playoff against Viktoria Plzen, drawing both legs before winning 4-3 on penalties in the Czech Republic.
The visitors will hope to avoid another shootout, but their task remains delicate: they carry only a slender lead, and the second leg comes against a Betis side with recent European home wins on its resume. Panathinaikos also face a documented historical hurdle against Spanish opposition, having lost 14 of their last 19 European meetings with Spanish teams, with two wins and three draws in that span.
All of it leaves the tie balanced on a single goal. Betis have to find a way past a team arriving with momentum and a lead; Panathinaikos have to manage the pressure of an away second leg with a narrow cushion. Real Betis – Panathinaikos will be decided by whether Betis can turn ambition and attacking selection into the goals required to flip the tie.
