Real Betis Balompié face a formidable group on their return to the Champions League after more than two decades away. The draw held on Thursday placed the Seville-based club in a pool with Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Porto for the group stage.
The verdiblancos, who qualified last season, will host the Premier League champions at the Benito Villamarín. They must also travel to the Allianz Arena to face the German giants, a fixture that is one of the toughest challenges on the European calendar.
A schedule packed with travel
Beyond the clashes with Arsenal and Bayern, Betis will welcome Feyenoord and Como at home and visit Borussia Dortmund, Lille and Slovan Bratislava. This extensive match programme involves trips to Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal and Slovakia, testing the squad's depth.
Sporting director Ramón Planes acknowledged the difficulty of the draw. "It's a very competitive group, with top-level rivals from their leagues," he explained after the pairing was known. "For us it is an honour to return to this competition and we will face each match with maximum ambition."
The last time Betis played in Europe's premier club competition was the 2005-2006 season. That campaign saw them placed in a group with Chelsea, Anderlecht and Liverpool, failing to progress to the next round. The club hopes the current experience, with a settled squad under manager Manuel Pellegrini, will yield a more positive performance.
Fans can already check the full group stage schedule on our fixtures page. The team tackles this European challenge while aiming to maintain a strong performance in LaLiga, where they hold a mid-table position in the standings. Physical preparation will be key, and the squad's status can be followed in the injuries section.
The first Champions League group stage match is scheduled for mid-September. Betis will begin their European journey against Porto at the Estádio do Dragão, a historic venue where the team will look to start a campaign full of hope on the right foot.
