Betis and Lille face an evenly matched duel in European elite return

Real Betis return to Europe's top club competition after 21 years with a demanding test against Lille, in a match that looks evenly balanced in both quality and tactical approach.

Betis arrive in France after a prestigious 1-0 victory over Real Madrid at La Cartuja. They have collected nine points from four league matches. Lille, meanwhile, have seven points from three Ligue 1 games, remain unbeaten and drew with Paris Saint-Germain in their second match.

The teams have never met. Both favor defensive order and depend on the talent of their attacking players. Lille look to Haraldson, while Betis revolve around captain Isco, Pablo Fornals and Brazilian winger Antony Dos Santos. Troy Parrott, who scored against Real Madrid, is expected to lead the Betis attack alongside Ayase Ueda as the main forward option for Lille.

Manuel Pellegrini is expected to rotate his lineup without changing the team's identity or intensity. Injuries rule out Diego Llorente and Ez Abde, but Dani Ceballos returns to the squad after rejoining Betis nine years after leaving for Real Madrid. Giovani Lo Celso is also available after recovering from physical problems.

Lille, coached by Davide Ancelotti, have started the season strongly and include familiar names such as 39-year-old Olivier Giroud and 19-year-old Ethan Mbappé. The French side will have home support at the Pierre Mauroy, while former Betis defender Romain Perraud is part of Lille's squad and former Sevilla player Luis Tevenet serves as Ancelotti's assistant.