2023/2024 EL Group C: Rangers - Real Betis - Sparta Praha - Aris Limassol

[Dragonite]

[Jua Ferreira]

Prediction

Real Betis
Rangers
Sparta Prag
Aris Limassol

[Firnen]

Prediction

1. Betis
2. Sparta Prague
3. Aris Limassol
4. Rangers

[bugylibicska]

1.Betis
2.Sparta Praha
3.Rangers
4.Aris Limassol

[Lubomir25]

1. Rangers
2. Real Betis
3 Sparta Prague
4. Aris Limassol

[bugylibicska]

Betis 1.50
Rangers 4.00
Sparta Praha 7.00
Aris Limassol 15.00

[aekFC4everNEW]

Aris will be the 6th Cypriot team participating in EL groups and this will be the 15th appearance overall. The target for Aris is the 3rd place and to do this they need to improve significantly at the back. They scored 11 vs BATE but conceded 5 and they scored 7 vs Slovan but conceded 4. Overall 3W, 3L (19-12)

It is not the hardest nor the easiest draw. Rangers was my personal preference from Pot 1, Betis was probably the hardest to get from Pot 2 and Sparta Praha was an ok draw from Pot 3.

Betis will most probably top this group and as I want to be optimistic I believe Aris can challenge Rangers or Sparta for the 3rd place.

Cypriot teams in EL groups:
18W-16D-50L
1 1st place
1 2nd place
5 3rd places
7 4th places

[og2002gr]

1.Real Betis 75%
2.Sparta Praha 50%
3.Rangers 45%
4.Aris Limassol 25%

Nice but weird group as none of the 4 teams earned their qualification to Europa League through EL QR.
3 CL drop-outs and 1 direct GS qualification.

Real Betis survived in more difficult groups in the past, so they won't fail now.
Sparta looked better in QR than Rangers, so maybe it is their time.
Aris had much ups and downs, scoring many goals against weak (?) teams but were harmless against Rakow.

[lgu98150]

The winner of the group will be decided on matchday 1 when Betis play in Glasgow. A win that night will see the Spanish side top that group fairly comfortably. Rangers will have too much for both Sparta and Aris, although Sparta could catch Rangers out in matchday 3 in Prague. If they can win that game it sets up an interesting battle for second place behind Betis. Aris will suffer at this level from having an incomplete defence, but could take some points from other teams in draws and dead-rubbers, perhaps affecting final positioning.

There is an interesting dynamic on progression within the EL - with 2nd place having to playoff against a champions league level drop out for a place in the last 16. There is an argument that both Rangers and Sparta may prefer 3rd place and a better chance of progression in the Conference league.

[Dragonite]

Rangers



--> 5th participation in the EL group stages
--> Advanced from the group stages 3 times (75%)
--> Manager: Michael Beale (0-0-0)
--> Squad EL experience: 216 matches




Real Betis



--> 5th participation in the EL group stages
--> Always advanced from the group stages
--> Manager: Manuel Pellegrini (9-4-5)
--> Squad EL experience: 323 matches




Sparta Praha



--> 9th participation in the EL group stages
--> Advanced from the group stages 4 times (50%)
--> Manager: Brian Priske (1-2-3)
--> Squad EL experience: 103 matches




Aris Limassol



--> EL (group stages) debutant
--> 0 of the previous 5 Cypriot debutants advanced from the group stages
--> Manager: Aliaksei Shpileuski (0-0-0)
--> Squad EL experience: 39 matches




Prediction:
1. Real Betis
2. Sparta Praha
3. Rangers
4. Aris Limassol

[Polak]

I think this group could be quite surprising. I'm going to go for Sparta Prague to finish top. Aris should be bottom. Their opponents are stronger than the likes of BATE and Slovan Bratislava so they won't be dishing out any trashings. They might be on the end of some actually. The question remains who takes 2nd and 3rd place? Rangers were runners up in 21/22, but that was then. I think that they'll drop to the Conference League here.

1. Sparta Prague
2. Real Betis
3. Rangers
4. Aris Limassol

[Laudrup1]

A pleasant, if somewhat surprising, victory last night for Rangers. The domestive form has been really poor and the PSV 2nd leg really confirmed what a lot of us thought about this squad.

The Betis game was relatively balanced. I could see Sparta taking points from them too and the race for 1st, 2nd and 3rd being really tight. Then again, Aris might throw in a surprise too. Could be one of those groups where a really low points count can still get 4th due to draws.

[bugylibicska]

To win the group:

Real Betis 2.20
Rangers 2.40
Sparta Prague 4.50
Aris Limassol 26.00

[Dragonite]

Real Betis

Luis Felipe replaced by Bartra.

If you want to watch Luis Felipe playing meaningful club football, it will be for Al Ittihad Jeddah now, in AFC Champions League against AGMK, Sepahan and Al Quwa Al Jawiya, instead of for Betis in UEFA Europa League against Rangers, Sparta Praha and Aris Limassol.

[Dragonite]

Congratulations Rangers!


After last season's disaster in CL, this season they're back to their comfort zone in EL and they started with a win against an opponent that last season won its group undefeated!

Real Betis is now in a losing streak of 3 EL matches (two against Manchester United in EL last 16 plus this against Rangers), the longest in its EL history. And they're also in a winless streak of 3 EL matches, also the longest in its EL history alongside another three (Lyon, Rijeka and Rubin Kazan in 2013-2014, Dudelange and Rennes x2 in 2018-2019, and Zenit and Frankfurt x2 in 2022).