Bartra returns to Dortmund as Betis chase a fourth European win
Betis have the chance to make it four wins from four in the Champions League and strengthen their position among the leading sides. Marc Bartra returns to face his former club, while Cucho Hernández, Junior Firpo and Álvaro Fidalgo are unavailable.
Marc Bartra's return to Dortmund gives this meeting a personal thread, but Betis have a bigger prize in sight. Three wins from their opening three Champions League matches have put Manuel Pellegrini's side in a position to make an early statement in the competition. A fourth would give that start even greater weight.
Dortmund's strength at home gives them a narrow edge, but Betis have enough European momentum to make this a close contest.
Dortmund will be difficult to unsettle at home. They have gone six matches there without defeat, and their latest 2-2 draw away to Bayern Munich showed the resilience that has kept them level on points with the Bundesliga leaders. Niko Kovač's side have also won two of their three European matches, recovering from the defeat at Bodø/Glimt with a victory over Sabah.
Bartra knows this ground well. The Spanish defender spent a year and a half at Dortmund before leaving in 2018, and this will be his first competitive appearance against his former club. He returns as an important figure in Pellegrini's side, with the opportunity to help Betis maintain a start that has already included wins over Lille, Porto and Feyenoord.
The visitors will be without Cucho Hernández, Junior Firpo and Álvaro Fidalgo, while Iker Losada has also been left out of the travelling squad. Dortmund have their own long-term absentees, including Emre Can and Giannis Konstantelias. Betis have shown they can compete against strong European opposition, but Dortmund's home record gives the hosts a narrow advantage.
