Nottingham Forest will aim to return to winning ways and start the 2025/26 UEFA Europa campaign on a high when they take on Real Betis at the Benito Villamarin Stadium.
The main draw of the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League kicks off this midweek with Matchday 1. The first round of fixtures will start on Wednesday with two early matches before continuing with seven simultaneous games, including Real Betis vs Nottingham Forest at the Benito Villamarin Stadium.
Real Betis would have hoped for a slightly better start to the 2025/26 season, even though they have lost only once thus far. Meanwhile, Los Verdiblancos qualified for the UEFA Europa League by finishing sixth in the 2024/25 La Liga standings. While wins have not been straightforward for Manuel Pellegrini’s men, they will hope to kick off their European campaign on a high.
On the other hand, Nottingham Forest qualified for the UEFA Europa League after Crystal Palace failed to win a spot in the competition due to a violation of a multi-ownership rule. However, the Tricky Trees have endured a chaotic 2025/26 campaign thus far, with Nuno Espirito Santo no longer at the Midlands club.
Ange Postecoglou has replaced the Portuguese tactician at Nottingham Forest, but the Tricky Trees have failed to win their three games under the new manager. While Forest ended the rut with a 1-1 draw with Burnley, they will be eager to return to winning ways against Real Betis on Wednesday.
Wednesday’s UEFA Europa League tie will be the first-ever match featuring Real Betis and Nottingham Forest. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the maiden meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Real Betis
Manuel Pellegrini has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Real Betis manager may be bereft of the services of five first-team players vs Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.
Isco is the most notable absentee, with the veteran Spanish playmaker recovering from a leg injury. Meanwhile, Pablo Garcia is unavailable after earning a call-up to Spain’s squad for the Under-20 World Cup in Chile. Pellegrini is also sweating over the fitness of Diego Llorente, Ricardo Rodriguez and Nelson Deossa.
Alvaro Valles will retain his spot between the sticks, with Real Betis lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Nottingham Forest on Wednesday. The backline should feature Hector Bellerin, Marc Bartra, Natan, and Junior Firpo.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Pablo Fornals and Sergi Altimira in the double pivot. Giovani Lo Celso will reprise the no. 10 role, with Antony and Abde Ezzalzouli being the two wide attackers. Finally, Cucho Hernandez will lead the line for Real Betis against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Valles; Bellerin, Bartra, Natan, Firpo; Fornals, Altimira; Antony, Lo Celso, Ezzalzouli; Cucho
Nottingham Forest
Unlike his counterpart in the Real Betis dugout, Ange Postecoglou has received a positive update on the team news front ahead of the trip to the Benito Villamarin Stadium. The Nottingham Forest manager will be without four first-team players on Wednesday.
Murillo is closing in on returning to action amid his recovery from a knock. However, Ola Aina (hamstring) and Nicolas Dominguez (knee) remain in the treatment room. Additionally, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Omari Hutchinson are not in Nottingham Forest’s UEFA Europa League squad.
Matz Sels is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Nottingham Forest lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Real Betis on Wednesday. The backline should feature Nicolo Savona, Nikola Milenkovic, Morato, and Neco Williams, with Postecoglou easing Murillo back to action.
As for the midfield unit, Douglas Luiz should line up alongside Elliot Anderson in the double pivot. Morgan Gibbs-White will reprise the no. 10 role, with Callum Hudson-Odoi and Dilane Bakwa being the two wide attackers. Finally, Igor Jesus will spearhead the Nottingham Forest attack against Real Betis on Wednesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Savona, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams; Luiz, Anderson; Bakwa, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Igor Jesus
Key Stats
- Wednesday’s match will be the first-ever meeting between Real Betis and Nottingham Forest.
- Real Betis have lost seven of their nine previous European games against English teams (W1 D1), losing most recently in the 2025 UEFA Europa Conference League final to Chelsea.
- In major European competition, Nottingham Forest’s only previous meeting with a Spanish club was in the Fairs Cup first round in 1961/62, losing 7-1 on aggregate to Valencia.
- Real Betis lost last season’s UEFA Europa Conference League. They have lost only one of their 18 most recent major European home games in the group stage (W11 D6), although it was their most recent home UEFA Europa League group game in December 2023 against Rangers.
- Ange Postecoglou won the UEFA Europa League last season as Tottenham Hotspur manager. The Australian has a 67 per cent win ratio in the competition (P15 W10), the third-best behind Diego Simeone (81 per cent, P26 W21) and Julen Lopetegui (69 per cent, P16 W11) among managers with 15 or more games.
Player to Watch
Giovani Lo Celso
While Antony, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Morgan Rogers were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Giovani Lo Celso as the Player to Watch for Wednesday’s UEFA Europa League clash between Real Betis and Nottingham Forest at the Benito Villamarin Stadium.
With Isco unavailable due to a broken leg, the Argentine international has stepped up brilliantly, providing two assists, scoring once, and leading his team for chances created (15) this season. So, while Antony will be the go-to man for Manuel Pellegrini in the final third, Lo Celso’s output will hold the key for the home side against Nottingham Forest.
Prediction
Real Betis 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Real Betis may have won only two games in six attempts thus far in the 2025/26 La Liga season, but they have been one of the most productive teams in the final third. So, with Nottingham Forest struggling defensively, the hosts will fancy their prospects on Wednesday.
However, Ange Postecoglou knows how to bring the best out of his side in the UEFA Europa League, even when they are struggling in the Premier League. That spirit should be visible on Wednesday, and The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw between Real Betis and Nottingham Forest.
