Real Betis have virtually secured European football for the sixth consecutive season, all under Manuel Pellegrini’s management, pending only mathematical confirmation. But having achieved the goal with three matches to spare is not enough for the verdiblancos, who are determined not to let slip a golden opportunity to return to the top continental competition after more than two decades.
Thanks to the performance of Spanish teams in Europe this season, LaLiga has earned one of the two extra UEFA Champions League spots for the 2026-27 campaign. That spot goes to the fifth-placed team in the domestic league, a position Betis currently hold with a four-point cushion over Celta Vigo, their only realistic rival—barring a catastrophic run of results that would allow Rayo Vallecano to overcome the 12-point deficit and 15-goal difference gap.
Thus, Betis will face their first match ball for the Champions League tomorrow. Securing their return to Europe’s elite tournament so early won’t be easy. First, they must beat Elche at La Cartuja—a side desperate for points to avoid slipping into the relegation zone. Second, in addition to winning, Pellegrini’s men need Celta, who play an hour earlier at Balaídos, to lose against Levante, another team fighting to stay up. If either result fails, the Andalusians will have to wait (a Betis win and a Celta draw would give them a virtual but not mathematical ticket).
If both Betis and Celta win (or both draw or both lose), Betis could secure Champions League football the following weekend, when they visit already-crowned league champions Barcelona at Camp Nou. In Catalonia, they would need at least the same result as Claudio Giráldez’s side achieve in their visit to San Mamés against Athletic Club. Anything else would postpone the battle to the final matchday, where Betis host Levante and Celta visit Sevilla.
Betis have already virtually achieved their first objective—securing at least a Conference League place. The second, the Europa League, is also practically guaranteed, needing just one more point from their remaining three games or for Rayo Vallecano to drop a point in their four remaining fixtures. But at La Cartuja, they aim higher. Seizing this opportunity to return to the Champions League is seen as essential to cap the season, grow as a club, and provide a major economic boost.