Real Betis star Hector Bellerin insists pressure is all on Celtic ahead of Europa League tie in Seville

Real Betis defender Hector Bellerin admits he is relishing the prospect of facing Celtic in the Europa League after watching footage of their recent Old Firm Derby defeat to Rangers.

The former Arsenal right-back joined the La Liga outfit on season-long loan deal last month and will line-up against the Hoops on Thursday night in their opening Group G contest.

Bellerin reckons the damage inflicted on Ange Postecoglou’s side by their Glasgow rivals, prior to the international break, will have put them under a lot of pressure to return from Seville with three points.

The 26-year-old said: “To play against Celtic will be special because they’re such a big club with a big history.

“Celtic will be a tough rival but I’m optimistic. At Betis, we’re obliged to get the three points.

“We have already watched the derby against Rangers and that result puts pressure on Celtic.

“If we can dominate the ball against them, we can get the win we need. I’ve left Arsenal to win things with Real Betis. I’m not here for a holiday.”

The Spanish club are in buoyant mood following their 2-1 victory over Granada on Monday night, despite it leaving them with a shorter preparation time than Celtic, who will have had an extra two days of training.

Attacking midfielder Nabil Fekir is bullish about their chances of progressing from a group also containing Bayern Leverkusen and Hungarian champions Ferencvaros.

He told UEFA’s website: “When you are a player, you want to participate in these competitions.

“This year we are luck to be able to participate and I hope we will have a good tournament.

“It’s a good group. I think the most important thing is that we focus on ourselves because we are a strong team and if we get it right I have no doubt that everything will be fine.”