Real Betis fully tasted success on the European stage last season. More precisely, its near-miss. Performing well in the domestic league, Manuel Pellegrini's charges reached the Conference League final, where they lost to Chelsea. In autumn last year the Seville club extended its contract with its coach, despite his advanced age. As of mid-March 2026 Betis has ambitions to win a trophy in the continent's second-tier competition—the Europa League. However, on their way stands the team of another aging and renowned specialist—Rafael Benitez. Panathinaikos has reached the knockout stage of a European competition for the second year in a row. Before this mini-run, the Greek club had not played knockout matches for 15 years. The Betis-Panathinaikos rivalry began in Athens a week ago. The result of the first leg was not affected by refereeing decisions that cannot be called controversial. In the 59th minute Anass Zarouri was sent off, leaving Benitez's side with ten players, but shortly before the final whistle something happened that turned the course of the match. In the 87th minute Diego Llorente fouled in his own penalty area and received a second yellow card. The penalty was converted cleanly by Vicente Taborda, giving Panathinaikos a 1-0 victory. Bookmakers have made the home side the favorites for the return leg, offering odds of 1.41 on their victory. If you study Betis' latest results, you might think the team is experiencing a slump. The Seville outfit has not won in five consecutive matches, two of which were losses. However, what is happening is waiting for its logical conclusion. In Spain Betis sits fifth in the table, with a solid cushion over rivals for a place in the European competition zone. In the Europa League, an away 0-1 defeat leaves high hopes for final success on their home ground. Panathinaikos does not look like a club capable of knocking a Spanish representative out of the European tournament. It is characterized by a solid fourth place in the Greek championship with little chance to contend for a top-3 finish. We'll bet on a convincing home win.