Madrid, Dec 10 (LatestNewsX) – Celta Vigo, Real Betis and Rayo Vallecano will resume their European campaigns on Thursday. Betis and Celta are keen to lock in top‑eight places in their Europa League groups, while Rayo must win its Conference League match to sidestep a playoff round.
Betis currently sit fifth in their Europa group as they prepare to face Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia. Coach Manuel Pellegrini is expected to fine‑tune his squad after the 5‑3 home defeat by Barcelona over the weekend. Players such as Cedrik Bakambu, Junior Firpo and teenage winger Pablo Garcia look set to start. Since Betis won’t return to La Liga until Monday against Rayo, wholesale reshuffles seem unlikely, according to Xinhua.
Celta’s recent 2‑0 victory over Real Madrid – thanks to a brace from Williot Swedberg – propels them to their next match against Bologna. Coach Claudio Giraldez plans to start Swedberg, with Ferran Jutgla and Iago Aspas also expected to feature as he tweaks his attacking lineup.
A surprise loss to Ludogorets two weeks ago has left Celta scrambling to secure a top‑eight finish. Picking up three points against a rival sitting just beneath them would carry significant weight.
Rayo’s tight squad has been stretched by the European fixture list, with the final two Conference League group games scheduled over the coming week. After a 1‑0 league defeat to Espanyol and a setback in Bratislava, they’ll face Jagiellonia Bialystok. Coach Inigo Pérez is likely to shuffle the lineup; midfielder Unai Lopez is guaranteed a start as he serves a suspension for next week’s league match.
The 2025‑26 UEFA Europa League marks the 55th edition of Europe’s secondary club competition and the 17th under its current moniker. The final will be held on 20 May 2026 at Besiktas Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
After five matches, Lyon of France are tied at the top of the standings with Denmark’s Midtjylland and England’s Aston Villa, each on 12 points. Real Betis share fourth place with Stuttgart’s SC Freiburg and Hungary’s Ferencváros, both on 11 points.
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