MADRID, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- La Liga sides Real Betis and Celta Vigo make their UEFA Europa League debuts this week, with Betis at home to Nottingham Forest and Celta away to German side Stuttgart.
Betis reached last season's Conference League final before losing to Chelsea, and Manuel Pellegrini's team goes into Thursday's match after a 3-1 home win against Real Sociedad at the weekend.
Last season Pellegrini rotated heavily between La Liga and the Conference League, but the greater demands of the Europa League are expected to limit changes this time.
Even so, with players such as Marc Bartra, Rodrigo Riquelme, Cedric Bakambu and Marc Roca available after starting on the bench at the weekend, the Chilean coach still has options, although key playmaker Isco remains sidelined with a fractured fibula.
Nottingham Forest travel to Seville after recently replacing Nuno Espirito Santo with Ange Postecoglou, who guided Tottenham Hotspur to last season's Europa League title.
Postecoglou has overseen two defeats and a draw in his three matches in charge of Forest, but the 1-1 draw at Burnley last weekend offered signs that the side is adapting to his high-intensity approach.
Celta will be without the injured trio of Marcos Alonso, Williot Swedberg and Mihailo Ristic for Thursday's visit to Stuttgart, but coach Claudio Giraldez welcomed the club's return to European competition.
"We are living a dream come true and something that we haven't been able to enjoy for a long time," he said in an interview with Spanish sports paper Marca on Tuesday.
Celta's last European campaign saw the club reach the semifinals of the 2016-17 Europa League, losing 2-1 on aggregate to Manchester United after drawing 1-1 at Old Trafford in the second leg.
"I was in the stands at Old Trafford and enjoyed that game, and now I'm in the dugout of a team I have always supported. That is a real luxury," said Giraldez. ■
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