Betis go for the toughest challenge yet: win in Dortmund

Real Betis Balompié

Betis fans are facing the best year in the club's history. They are living in a state of euphoria. Confidence in this squad and Pellegrini grows with every match, and this time the story repeats itself. So much so that it is expected that this Wednesday will bring about the biggest away trip by Betis fans in the club's history. 

It will be a thrilling game. The Betis will not only have to deal with the sporting side; the atmosphere will weigh heavily too. The Signal Iduna Park and the "yellow bees" are the 12th player. The green-and-whites know what the push from the supporters can mean, and this time that factor will play against them. Football-wise, they have everything: they face the leaders of the Bundesliga and the fourth-placed team in the League. Betis have dropped points in just three matches between the League and the Champions League , while Borussia have done so in one. In the European group stage, the Andalusians are in the "top 8" while the Germans sit in 13th place, but only three points separate them (they have 9 and 6 respectively).

A first time that could be unforgettable

This is a clash with no precedent. The Betis will step onto the pitch of the Signal Iduna Park for the first time, with the aim of securing their place in the next round mathematically. Why not dream about finishing in the top eight as well? What once seemed like a pipe dream is no longer quite so far-fetched. The current form of Valles, Bartra, Fran García, Fornals or Isco is an invitation to optimism. All five were in action against Málaga , but both the man from Málaga and the player from Castellón were substituted, surely to rest ahead of the big midweek fixture. Bartra and Isco, meanwhile, have become the European hope with two goals each and standout performances. Natan and Héctor Bellerín will complete the back line unless there is a surprise, and Facundo Bernal has plenty of options to return to the starting XI after having two clean weeks to recover from his suspension. Pablo Fornals is the favourite to take the spot in the middle of the park, but there is a whole group of alternatives if he is not: Ceballos, Deossa and Lo Celso.

Up front, Cucho 's injury automatically makes Troy Parrot the starting No. 9. The Irishman started in the League, but at 74' he made way for Aitor Ruibal. Another hint from the "engineer". Abde will take the left flank and Antony, despite his low level of form, is a player who arrived to give the team a quality boost in the key dates. Roro Riquelme's poor performance this Saturday also works in their favour. The Madrid-born player did not take his chance and showed that coming on as a substitute suits him far more. The match will miss the two discarded players and Junior Firpo, -who has already trained with the group but is not at 100%- and Cucho through injury.

Borussia Dortmund: a run of form and near-perfect record

The six absences in Niko Kovaĉ's squad are not stopping the season from looking promising. The newly renewed German coach has ensured that his side are competing for everything again. His influence on the physical side has his players flying, and he has made fast transitions and verticality their trademarks. The speed at which they move the ball is what could make the difference against a Betis that, without the ball, struggles a lot, builds their attacks with far more patience, and are interested in a slower tempo. 

The Allianz Arena's most recent match has been a shot of motivation. They managed to draw against the mighty Bayern of Múnich and set the Bundesliga alight. In it, Kovaĉ surprised by reverting to a back four that he could repeat against the Betis. The main threats are Joey Veerman, who gives meaning to the game alongside Jobe Bellingham, the right-back Beier -lethal in the final meters-, and Guirassy, the centre-forward who is an absolute starter and has seen the back of the net 8 times. Mention should also be made of the centre-back Nico Slotterbeck- perhaps the most well-known at user level- or their goalkeeper, Nico Kobel.

Possible Real Betis- Borussia Dortmund line-ups

Borussia Dortmund: Kobel; Gadou, Anton, Schlotterbeck; Jobe Bellingham, Veerman, Nmecha, Svensson; Beier, Chukwuemeka; Guirassy.

Real Betis: Valles; Bellerín, Natan, Marc Bartra, Fran García; Fornals, Facundo Bernal, Isco; Antony, Abde and Troy Parrot

Kick-off time and where to watch the match

The match will be played this Wednesday 4 November at the Signal Iduna Park from 21:00 and can be followed on Movistar Plus for subscribers to that platform.