Real Betis Champions League 2025-26 opponents: Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Dortmund headline tough draw

Real Betis faces a demanding path in its long-awaited return to Europe's top club competition. Following Thursday's draw, Manuel Pellegrini's side knows it will take on Arsenal and Bayern Munich, the reigning Premier League and Bundesliga champions, as the standout obstacles in a league phase where the goal is nothing short of historic: reaching the Champions League knockout rounds for the first time in the club's history.

• Betis will face Arsenal and Bayern Munich from pot one, plus Borussia Dortmund and Porto from pot two.
• La Cartuja will host Arsenal, Porto, Feyenoord and Como, while Betis travels to Bayern, Dortmund, Lille and Slovan Bratislava.
• Avoiding Bodo/Glimt, Napoli, RB Leipzig and Fenerbahce in pot three boosts Betis' chances of picking up points.
• Bellerín's reunion with Arsenal and Bartra's return to Dortmund add extra spice to two of the ties.
• Betis has not played in the Champions League for over 20 years and has never reached the tournament's knockout rounds.

Arsenal and Bayern Munich headline a brutal pot one draw for Betis

The draw placed Betis in the path of two domestic champions. The London side, fresh off winning the Premier League, will be one of the marquee fixtures at La Cartuja. During preseason, the Andalusians already beat the Gunners 3-1 in a friendly played without most of the World Cup internationals, a precedent that fuels optimism even though an official match is a completely different beast. Héctor Bellerín, a product of Arsenal's academy, will enjoy an emotional reunion with his former club.

The trip to the Allianz Arena to face Bayern Munich, now coached by Vincent Kompany — a former Pellegrini pupil at Manchester City — looks like one of the toughest away days on the calendar. Taking points in Munich seems a fantasy on paper, but the green-and-white faithful are already preparing a huge traveling support to accompany the team on the first of their two visits to Germany.

Borussia Dortmund and Porto round out a loaded pot two for Real Betis

Betis will also visit Signal Iduna Park to take on Borussia Dortmund. The historic Westfalenstadion, famous for its Yellow Wall, will host the Heliopolis club for the first time in its history. There, Marc Bartra will reunite with the team he played for before returning to Betis. To complete the pot two fixtures, Porto will travel to La Cartuja in a match that looks wide open and full of opportunities for the home side.

Feyenoord and Lille give Betis a fighting chance from pot three

The draw was kind to Betis when it came to pot three. The Verdiblancos dodged the likes of Bodo/Glimt, leaders of the Norwegian league, Napoli, RB Leipzig and José Mourinho's Fenerbahce. Instead, they will face Feyenoord and Lille. The Dutch side already visited the Sevillian ground last January, on matchday eight of the Europa League league phase, and left empty-handed after losing to Pellegrini's men.

The trip to Lille stands out as one of the most winnable away fixtures on Betis' schedule. Far from the continent's heavyweights, the journey to northern France represents a genuine chance to pick up points on the road — something crucial in the new Champions League format, where every single point is decisive in the battle to finish among the top 24.

Slovan Bratislava and Como, the most winnable pair of Betis' Champions League fixtures

From pot four, Slovan Bratislava was not the easiest possible opponent — Sabah, Viking and LASK emerged as weaker alternatives — but the trip to the Slovak capital is one of the two games where Betis must impose its status as favorite. Alongside it, the visit of Italian outfit Como to La Cartuja marks the other clear opportunity for a full three points.

The Lombardy club, coached by Cesc Fàbregas, will arrive in Seville with a large Spanish contingent. Among their ranks are two former Betis players, Jesús Rodríguez and Assane Diao, as well as Luis Milla, who was on the Andalusian club's radar before signing for Serie A. It will be a reunion with extra intrigue and the added incentive of seeing two homegrown talents back at La Cartuja.

Real Betis is aiming to reach the Champions League knockout rounds for the first time in club history.

Real Betis' home fixtures at La Cartuja in the 2025-26 Champions League

La Cartuja, Betis' temporary home while the Benito Villamarín undergoes renovation, will host four league phase matches: Arsenal, Porto, Feyenoord and Como. The atmosphere in the Sevillian stadium must become a decisive factor for a team that already proved in last season's Europa League how much it can grow when backed by its supporters. All four home games, especially the latter two, will be key in the fight to finish inside the top 24.

Away from home, besides the daunting trips to Munich and Dortmund, Lille and Slovan Bratislava complete the quartet of away days. The combination of a demanding domestic schedule and the unforgiving nature of the new Champions League will test the depth of a squad Pellegrini has carefully shaped over recent years.

The historic challenge awaiting Pellegrini and Betis in the Champions League

After more than two decades away from Europe's elite competition, Betis enters this campaign determined to break down a barrier that has always stood in its way: advancing past a Champions League group stage and into the knockout rounds. With the new 36-team league phase format and eight matchdays, Pellegrini's side knows it needs consistent performances without any drop-offs, and that the games against pot three and pot four opponents will decide their fate.

The Chilean, who has already delivered a Copa del Rey to the club of the Thirteen Bars and made European qualification a regular habit, now faces another monumental test. Overcoming it would mean writing a brand new chapter in the institution's history and cementing a project that has turned Betis into a European regular.