Thu Mar 13 21:10:00 UTC 2025: ## Guimarães Hosts Betis in Tight Conference League Clash
**Guimarães, Portugal** – Vitória de Guimarães and Real Betis will clash at the Estadio D. Afonso Henriques on Thursday in the second leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League last-16 tie. The match is finely poised after a thrilling 2-2 draw in the first leg in Spain, where Vitória twice came from behind to earn a valuable away goal.
Vitória, who finished second in their Conference League group stage, are unbeaten in Europe this season. They head into the game on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run following a weekend league victory. Home advantage will be crucial for Guimarães, who boast a strong record at the Estadio D. Afonso Henriques. However, they face the challenge of having never beaten Betis in their previous three encounters.
Betis, meanwhile, secured their last-16 spot after navigating a playoff round. While a home draw against Vitória last week was less than ideal, they arrive in Portugal following a 1-0 league win and possessing a strong away scoring record. However, they will be without several key players due to injury, including Marc Roca and Giovani Lo Celso.
Both teams are expected to field strong lineups, with Vitória potentially welcoming back several players from injury or the bench. The return leg promises to be a closely fought encounter, with Vitória hoping to leverage home support to secure a narrow victory and progress to the quarter-finals. Betis, despite their injury concerns, will be aiming to exploit their away form and secure a result to advance. The winner will face a tough challenge in the quarter-final stage of the competition.
First Piper 