Chandra (left) and XMM-Newton (right) images of MACS J0717.5+3745, restricted to the same FOV as the SZ data and thermodynamical maps, visible as the box in Fig. 1. Intensity scale is in flux per pixel (0.492 × 0.492 arcsec for Chandra, and 4.1 × 4.1 arcsec for XMM pn). Part of the XMM-Newton image is over-saturated so that the filament structure is more visible. The white lines indicate the regions used for modelling the spectra of the outskirts of the cluster and the group together with the filament. The green dashed circle indicates the approximate R₂₀₀ of the cluster.