The last time Feyenoord left the Estadio de La Cartuja, their European season left with them. That was 29 January, the final night of the Europa League league phase, and a 2-1 defeat in Seville sent them home. On Wednesday 21 October they're back at the same ground, this time in the Champions League, with a new coach. Betis vs Feyenoord is a rematch, and only one of these two sides will have enjoyed the first game.
The night Feyenoord went out
Betis were quick out of the blocks that evening. Antony scored early, Abde Ezzalzouli headed in a second, and it was 2-0 after 32 minutes. Casper Tengstedt pulled one back with a long-range strike 13 minutes from time, but that was as close as Feyenoord got. NL Times has the full report from Seville.
It's still the only competitive meeting between the clubs, and both have gone up a level since.
Estadio de La Cartuja. Photo: Implemooc, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Van Bronckhorst is back in Rotterdam
Giovanni van Bronckhorst wasn't in charge that night. He came back to Feyenoord in June, replacing Robin van Persie, after working as Arne Slot's assistant at Liverpool, and he already won the Dutch title with the club as coach in 2017.
The second spell has started well. Feyenoord lead the Eredivisie with 20 points from eight games and haven't lost. They won 7-0 at PEC Zwolle, beat Utrecht 5-0 and saw off AZ 2-0 on 10 October. Anis Hadj Moussa, Gjivai Zechiel and Nacho Ferri have five league goals each.
Europe has been harder going. They trailed 2-0 at half-time in Barcelona on Matchday 1 and lost 5-1, with Sem Steijn scoring the consolation. They host Como in Rotterdam on Wednesday afternoon and go to Telstar on Saturday before flying to Spain.
Real Betis
FeyenoordPellegrini's Betis have improved too
Betis were good in January. They look better now. Manuel Pellegrini's side are third in La Liga with six wins, a draw and a defeat from eight games. The defeat was a chaotic 5-2 at Levante in August, and the best result so far was a 1-0 home win over Real Madrid on 4 September. Most recently they beat Osasuna 5-2 on 11 October, Isco scoring twice (one a penalty) and Abde also scoring.
Dani Ceballos and Fran Garcia arrived from Real Madrid in the summer, adding depth and experience. In Europe, Betis came from behind to win 3-2 at Lille on Matchday 1, their first Champions League win in 21 years, and Marc Bartra scored twice and was named Player of the Match. They host Porto at La Cartuja on Wednesday night before Feyenoord arrive.
A striker Feyenoord already know
One man in green and white will look familiar to the Dutch side. Betis signed Troy Parrott from AZ in August, and the Republic of Ireland striker has hit the ground running: the winner against Real Madrid, then the decisive goal at Lille. Feyenoord's defenders have faced him in the Eredivisie and will know how sharp he is in the box.
Neither club had reported significant injuries at the time of writing. Both play on Wednesday and again at the weekend, so any knocks will show up after that.
Betis vs Feyenoord prediction
Betis are strong at La Cartuja, and with Isco and Ceballos in midfield they have the players to keep the ball against a press. Feyenoord's attack is in form, and I'd expect Van Bronckhorst's side to be far more compact than they were in Barcelona. They're a better-organised team than the one that lost here in January. I still think Betis's home form and experience tell in a tight game, and I'll take the same score as the winter: Betis 2-1 Feyenoord.
It kicks off at 21:00 in Seville and Rotterdam, which is 20:00 in the UK and 3pm ET in the US.
Real BetisFeyenoordThe game will be free on DAMITV through our Champions League live streams page, no signup needed. Betis fans can follow league games on the La Liga streams hub, and Spanish speakers have ver Real Betis en vivo and Champions League en vivo. The other Spanish game that evening is at the Bernabeu, and our Real Madrid vs Leipzig preview covers it.
Two quick questions
Why are Betis playing at La Cartuja?
Betis are using the Estadio de La Cartuja this season while their usual home, the Benito Villamarin, is redeveloped. So Feyenoord are going back to the exact ground where their Europa League run ended.
Has Van Bronckhorst faced Betis as Feyenoord coach before?
No. He replaced Robin van Persie in June, after the January game, so this is his first meeting with Betis in the job.
