Nottingham Forest will be making the trip to Spain to face Real Betis in their first match of the 2025/26 Europa League on September 25.
Forest are back in European football after three long decades by earning a seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season, which got them a Conference League qualification. They were then upgraded to the Europa League due to Crystal Palace's demotion.
Forest's new head coach, Ange Postecoglou, will also be returning to the competition after leading Tottenham to the title last season, ending Spurs' 17-year trophy drought.
Postecoglou's side have not made an impressive start to the campaign, winning only one out of five Premier League matches, which leaves them 15th in the top flight on five points.
Real Betis, meanwhile, are sixth in La Liga with nine points after two wins, three draws, and one loss.
This Europa League opening match on Wednesday will mark to be the first time Nottingham Forest and Real Betis are pitted against each other. Here's our match prediction for tonight's game.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Real Betis vs. Nottingham Forest lineups: Predicted starting XI, team news, injury latest
Betis will be without Isco against Forest as the Spanish star remains sidelined with a broken fibula that he suffered in preseason.
Head coach Manuel Pellegrini will also be without Marc Bartra, Diego Llorente, Nelson Deossa, and young winger Pablo Garcia, who is at the Under-20 World Cup. Aitor Ruibal and Ricardo Rodriguez are at least available again.
Pellegrini is still hoping to start off their Europa League campaign with a win against Forest, whom the Chilean manager referred to as "very tough opponents".
Real Betis starting XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Pau Lopez (GK) — Bellerin, Natan, Rodriguez, Junior Firpo — Amrabat, Pablo Fornals — Antony, Lo Celso, Abde Ezzalzouli — Cucho Hernandez
Injured: Isco (broken fibula), Barta (muscle), Llorente (muscle), Deossa (ankle)
Suspended: None
Unavailable: P. Garcia (international duty)
Nottingham Forest have two outstanding injuries in their squad: Nicolas Dominguez, who has a knee injury, and Ola Aina, who is sidelined after hamstring surgery. Murillo is also a doubt after suffering a knock in the Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Swansea City.
Oleksandr Zinchenko and Omari Hutchinson were left out of Forest's initial Europa League squad, but the former was added after Aina's injury and will be available for selection.
Since taking charge earlier this month, Postecoglou has not led Forest to a win and will be eager to do so to kick-start his tenure.
Nottingham Forest starting XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Sels (GK) — Williams, Milenkovic, Morato, Zinchenko — Anderson, Sangare — Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi — Wood
Injured: Aina (hamstring), Dominguez (knee), Murillo (knock, doubt)
Suspended: None
Real Betis vs. Nottingham Forest match details
- Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2025
- Kickoff timing: 9 p.m. local time / 8 p.m. BST
- Location: Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville (Spain)
- Competition: UEFA Europa League league phase matchday 1
- Referee: Sascha Stegemann (GER)
- VAR: Soren Storks (GER)