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Real Madrid, Betis and Villarreal Open Champions League With Different Goals

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Real Madrid, Betis and Villarreal Open Champions League With Different Goals

Real Madrid, Real Betis and Villarreal will launch their UEFA Champions League campaigns on Tuesday, each with distinct objectives, while Barcelona and Atletico Madrid begin their European runs on Wednesday.

Real Madrid will host Inter Milan as they look to mount a serious title challenge following last season's quarterfinal elimination. Real Betis, appearing in the competition for the first time in more than 20 years, are targeting a spot in the knockout phase playoffs. Villarreal, meanwhile, hope to bounce back from a disappointing European campaign in which they managed just one point across eight league-phase matches.

That poor run in Europe contributed to Villarreal's decision to part ways with coach Marcelino Garcia Toral and bring in Inigo Perez this summer. Perez now faces a tough away fixture at Borussia Dortmund following a winless start domestically, with two draws and two losses so far this season. A strong result in Germany could help relieve some of the pressure building on the new coach.

Real Madrid also head into their opener seeking to recover from a setback. Jose Mourinho's team suffered a 1-0 loss at Betis on Friday, marking their first defeat since the Portuguese manager's return to the club. That match highlighted Madrid's shortage of a true holding midfielder, with Aurelien Tchouameni still not at full fitness and unlikely to feature on Tuesday. Record signing Yan Diomande could earn his first start as a result. Mourinho may also make changes at fullback, with both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Denzel Dumfries in contention for a place in the lineup.

On the other side, Troy Parrott—who scored the winning goal for Betis against Madrid—is likely to start when the Seville club travels to face Lille. Marc Bartra and Rodrigo Riquelme are also expected to be in the starting XI as Betis make their long-awaited return to the Champions League stage after more than two decades away from the competition.

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