Betis fell 2-3 to Rangers on the final matchday, losing their grip on Europa League Group C and slipping into the Conference League as champions. Sparta Prague also watched Cypriot side Aris Limassol finish second after a 1-3 result, while the Scottish club secured the top spot heading into the knockout rounds.
The Glasgow side led twice in the first half, with goals from Senegalese forward Abdallah Sima. In a tense opening ten minutes, Juan Miranda equalized once more, and Nigerian-born Cyriel Dessers added another for Rangers by the 20th minute, only for Betis to reply through Ayoze Perez just before halftime (37th minute).
Hope remained for Betis in the second half as they pressed forward, but a header from Assane Diao went close, and a handball by Ayoze was ruled out. Rangers then struck again, with Kemar Roofe scoring in the 78th minute to swing the momentum decisively in favor of the visitors, leaving the home side on the brink of elimination.
Going into the final day, Betis faced a complicated scenario. A win on the road in Glasgow or Seville would have kept their hopes alive, but they were dependent on several other results to swing the group standings in their favor. The outcomes in other venues meant that all three teams in the group still had a theoretical path to finishing top, though the reality was precarious.
This mattered because the group winner would advance directly to the round of 16, while the second-placed team would enter the knockout stage via the qualifying round. The third-place finish would move the team into the Conference League.
Cyprus’s Aris Limassol remained a factor as the Czech side Sparta Prague faced a decisive test in Cyprus, while Rangers and Betis clashed in Seville. The result would determine who finished first and who was left to scramble for the remaining spots, so both sides approached the match with urgency and caution, fully aware of the stakes.
Betis, managed by Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini, lined up without several key players due to injuries or suspensions. Moroccan defender Chadi Riaydh and Greek defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos were among those unavailable, as was midfielder Guido Rodríguez. French playmaker Nabil Fekir was suspended, compounding the hosts’ selection challenges.
On the Rangers side, manager Michael Beale made lineup decisions that excluded several familiar names, including Tom Lawrence, Ryan Jack, Nicolas Raskin, Danilo Pereira, and Todd Cantwell, all unavailable for various reasons. The absences tested both teams’ depth and tactical adaptability ahead of a pivotal night in Seville.
Betis had been unbeaten in their last ten away matches this season, with a domestic run rooted in confidence. They surged forward early in the game when Abdallah Sima’s pace and finishing punished the visiting defense, seizing a 1-0 lead after ten minutes as Rui Silva was forced into action by the Senegalese striker’s sharp touches.
Juxtaposed with the visitors’ early pressure, Betis responded quickly. Right-back Juan Miranda delivered a precise cross into the box, and Borja Iglesias pounced to bring the score level four minutes later. The home side then threatened again when a Guardado shot struck the crossbar, signaling Betis’ rising intensity as the crowd sensed a breakthrough.
Rangers answered with a swift counter just after the quarter-hour mark, as Cyriel Dessers found the net to put the visitors back in front. Betis pressed to equalize, with Sima and Dessers consistently testing the hosts’ defense, while Ayoze Perez produced a dangerous move that nearly changed the complexion of the half.
Ayoze Perez had a moment of opportunity just before the halftime break, pulling the score back to 2-2 and energizing the home supporters. Yet the game shifted again in the second half as Rangers regained control and pressed for a decisive gem of a goal.
Pellegrini’s men sought to adjust during the interval, attempting to control the midfield and create chances through quick transitions. Ainho Diao’s header glanced off the top bar, signaling that fortune might tilt Betis’ way with a moment’s luck. The clock ticked toward the final stages, and Rangers remained a threat on the counterattack.
On the night that mattered, a clean strike from Kemar Roofe, combined with Betis’ need for a victory, intensified the tension. The late goal, delivered in the 78th minute, sealed a 3-2 win for Rangers and sent Betis into third place in the group, relegating them to the Conference League as the group’s outcomes crystallized.
The sequence of events on the final day left Rangers perched in first place and ready for the round of 16, while Sparta Prague’s performance against Aris Limassol kept the drama alive up until the whistle. The season’s momentum shifted decisively, and the narrative of Group C concluded with a mix of triumph and disappointment for the involved clubs, each now focused on the next phase of their European campaigns.