Real Betis return to Champions League home duty tonight with Porto arriving at La Cartuja, where Manuel Pellegrini’s side aim to turn an already memorable continental comeback into a campaign with genuine momentum.
Key takeaways
- Betis opened their Champions League return by recovering from behind twice to win away to Lille in France.
- The club’s previous home match in the competition was against Anderlecht on 6 December 2005.
- Porto begin the night under pressure after losing their opening European fixture to Manchester City at the Estádio do Dragão.
- The Portuguese side have nevertheless made a flawless domestic start, winning all eight league matches.
- Antony is available again after a muscular problem, while Isco will captain Betis as a five-time Champions League winner.
La Cartuja hosts a long-awaited European night
More than two decades after their first and, until this season, only Champions League appearance, Betis are back among Europe’s elite and refusing to treat the occasion as a brief visit. Their victory at Lille, achieved despite falling behind on two separate occasions, gave Pellegrini’s team a statement start and moved the focus quickly to a demanding night in Seville.
The Champions League anthem will be heard at La Cartuja rather than the Benito Villamarín, with Betis now using the stadium as their home. The setting carries significance for both clubs: Porto won the UEFA Cup there in 2003, beating Celtic to lift one of their continental trophies.
For the Betis support, the occasion ends a much longer wait. Their last home Champions League fixture came on 6 December 2005, when Anderlecht were the visitors. Porto, another of the competition’s historic names, now provide the opposition as the Andalusians seek to make their new ground a European stronghold.
Porto’s urgency meets Betis ambition
Porto travel to Spain needing a response after their defeat to Manchester City in the first round of fixtures. That setback came in Porto, but their domestic form has been emphatic, with eight wins from eight league games in Portugal.
The visitors retain considerable individual quality. Froholdt, Samu and Gabri Veiga are among the players available, with Samu having returned from injury. Betis, however, approach the match with ambition rather than caution after their Lille result.
Antony has overcome his muscular issue and can feature for Pellegrini. Changes are also possible, with Marc Bartra, Facundo Bernal, Ceballos and Troy Parrott all in contention for minutes.
Attention will again settle on Isco Alarcón. Betis’ captain has won the Champions League five times and now has the chance to lead the club’s attempt to establish itself in a competition it has waited so long to host again.
