Claudio giraldez

UEFA Europa League: Spanish club Real Betis play at home to Utrecht in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday night, although Manuel Pellegrini's players could be forgiven for having other things on their minds. The game comes just three days before Betis face Sevilla in the Seville derby, which is arguably the most bitter rivalry in La Liga, and with that game, Betis have very little time to recover after Thursday's match.

However, although Pellegrini is likely to make changes to his starting 11 on Thursday, with players such as Cedric Bakambu coming into his side, he has to keep his eye on the ball as Betis currently sit just outside of the top eight in the qualification group and need a win if his side is to avoid an extra qualification round in February.

Pellegrini is also in the news in Spain as it appears the veteran coach is on the verge of signing a new contract to stay at the club for another year after his current deal expires at the end of June, reports Xinhua.