Real Betis Balompié will face four European Cup winners on their path through the Champions League group stage. The draw held on Thursday in Monaco paired the Verdiblancos with a block of opponents claiming immense historical and current pedigree.
Arsenal, the reigning Premier League champions, and Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga title holders, are the top seeds in Group D. Also, Betis will meet Borussia Dortmund, Porto and Feyenoord, three clubs that have also lifted the continental trophy. Cesc Fábregas's Como and Slovan Bratislava complete a pot four that provides a tough opponent for the second matchday at home.
A group of the highest calibre
The presence of four European champions underlines the difficulty of the path awaiting Betis in their second-ever participation in the top continental competition. The first was in the 2005/06 season, when the team finished third in a group with Liverpool, Chelsea and Anderlecht, recording two wins, one draw and three defeats.
The specific schedule will now be set. Betis will host Arsenal at the Benito Villamarín Stadium and travel to the Allianz Arena to face Bayern. They will also play at home against Porto and Feyenoord, while visiting Borussia Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park and Slovan's ground. The match against Como will also be in Seville.
Sporting director Ramón Planes acknowledged the challenge. "It's a very demanding group, with teams of great tradition and power," he explained after the draw. "But this is the Champions League and this is the level."
The Verdiblanco squad, which can be viewed on the squad page, thus faces one of the most challenging European campaigns in its history. The team must balance the effort in La Liga, where they aim to consolidate a European place, with this demanding continental calendar. Fans can follow the full season schedule on the fixtures page.
The first Champions League group stage match will be played in mid-September.
