Nottingham Forest will embark on a historic journey on Wednesday evening when they face Real Betis in Spain for their opening Europa League group-stage encounter at La Cartuja.
Softfootball can report that the occasion marks Forest’s first European appearance in 29 years, since their exit at the hands of Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the 1995-96 UEFA Cup.
Their return to continental competition comes under the stewardship of Ange Postecoglou, who replaced Nuno Espírito Santo earlier this month following the Portuguese manager’s dismissal after a breakdown in relations with the club’s hierarchy.
Forest, coming from their 1-1 draw against Burnley last weekend, will seek to begin their European campaign on a high-flying note. Moreover, Coach Ange Postecoglou remarked that the game had a positive note on his boys ahead of Thursday’s clash with Betis.
Forest will be facing Betis for the first time in a competitive game; the last time they met was in 2018 in a friendly game, in which Betis recorded a lone goal win.
Into the game, just as Softfootball had analysed, Coach Postecoglou has decided to maintain his last weekend’s defence line with the likes of Milenkovic and Murillo setting from the back.
According to Murillo while speaking to Nottingham Forest media as shown on their official X handle, said the team will make a strong impression in Spain tonight. He said:
Real Betis, meanwhile, enter the competition on the back of a strong domestic campaign last season, where they amassed 60 points to finish sixth in La Liga. Their reward is a place in the Europa League group phase, where they aim to build on last season’s European exploits that saw them reach the final of the UEFA Conference League, ultimately falling to Chelsea in a heavy 4-1 defeat.
The Andalusian club, led by the experienced Manuel Pellegrini, will be determined to progress once more, especially as they seek to turn La Cartuja into a fortress while renovations continue at their traditional home, the Estadio Benito Villamarín.
Watch Nottingham Forest’s warm-up session as released on their official X handle below:
Confirmed lineup
Real Betis XI: Lopez; Ortiz, Natan, Gomez, Firpo; Altimira, Amrabat; Antony, Lo Celso, Ez Abde; Bakambu
Subs: Adrian, Valles, Avila, Hernandez, Fornals, Garreta, Morante, Riquelme, Roca, Rodriguez, Ruibal
Nottingham Forest XI: Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Morato, Zinchenko; Luiz, Sangare, Anderson; Gibbs-White, Jesus, Hudson-Odoi
Subs: John, Wood, Ndoye, Kalimuendo, Dominguez, Yates, McAtee, Bakwa, Boly, Savona
