Madrid, March 18 (IANS) Real Betis need to overturn a 1-0 first-leg defeat to Greek side Panathinaikos on Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the Europa League. The Spanish side Celta Vigo will also have some work to do in the competition.

Vicente Taborda’s 88th-minute penalty gave the Greek side the edge in Athens a week ago, leaving Betis with work to do at the Estadio de la Cartuja.

Both teams finished last week’s match with 10 men, with Anass Zaroury sent off for Panathinaikos just before the hour and Real Betis defender Diego Llorente shown a red card for the foul that led to the decisive penalty.

The match comes at a difficult time for Betis, which has not won since beating Mallorca on February 15. Since then, Manuel Pellegrini’s side has drawn at home to Rayo Vallecano, Sevilla, and Celta Vigo in La Liga, while suffering a 2-0 defeat away to Getafe.

Thursday also sees a meeting between two experienced coaches, with Pellegrini again facing Rafa Benitez, whose side is third in the Greek Super League.

Pellegrini will make a change in goal, with Pau Lopez set to start ahead of Alvaro Valles, although Lopez has conceded in all four European matches he has played this season. Brazilian central defender Nathan is a doubt after picking up a knock at the weekend, while Llorente is suspended, and Isco and Giovani Lo Celso are injured.

The good news for Pellegrini is that Sofyan Amrabat is fit and could even start in midfield.

Celta Vigo will travel to face Olympique Lyon in their Europa League return leg on Thursday, with the Spanish side under pressure after Endrick’s 87th-minute goal for Lyon cancelled out Javi Rueda’s first-half opener in the first leg, reports Xinhua.

Celta will also be without Spain international Borja Iglesias after his red card a week ago.

The Europa League, the second-tier competition for clubs in Europe, has reached the knockout stage, with the winners of this leg moving to the last-eight stage.

–IANS

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