Sevilla’s victory in the derby puts them on 50 points, four clear of fourth-placed Real Sociedad. They’re now six behind Real Madrid, eight behind Barcelona, albeit having played one more game. Second place shouldn’t be a pipe dream, not quite yet, though it’s extremely unlikely that both of the leaders will slip up and gift Sevilla their first La Liga title since 1946. Closing in on Champions League football is the important thing, and they’ve taken their first step tonight, throwing the gauntlet down at the feet of Real Sociedad, Getafe, Atletico Madrid and Valencia. Real Betis meanwhile remain in 12th, eight clear of relegation bother. Anyway, thanks for reading this MBM, and welcome back La Liga! Nighty night.
FULL TIME: Sevilla 2-0 Real Betis
Sevilla have won the 131st Gran Derbi! Deservedly so: they were the better side for just about the whole piece, with Ocampos, Diego Carlos and Munir particularly impressive. They cavort in glee, third place consolidated, a place in next year’s Champions League a little closer.
90 min +5: From the set piece, Kounde sends yet another header wide of goal. That’s hat-trick of good chances missed. But the young defender’s getting into good positions. One will fly in soon enough at this rate.
90 min +4: Navas and Suso combine to drive down the right. Suso drops a shoulder to zip into the box, and attempts a curler towards the top left. It’s deflected out for a corner.
90 min +3: A corner for Betis out on the left. Fekir floats it into the mixer. It’s half cleared. Joaquin tries to steer a volley back towards goal, but the ball flies miles over the bar.
90 min +2: The first couple of added minutes are a scrappy nonsense. Sevilla will be more than happy, given Betis had finally woken up.
90 min: There will be six added minutes.
89 min: Bartra grabs at the back of his leg. Hopefully not a hamstring issue. Cramp, it looks like. But he does walk off the field, gesticulating towards the bench on the other side, hoping to be subbed. But Betis have used all their subs, so the visitors are down to ten.
87 min: Betis show their fangs for the first time this evening. Joaquin sends Fekir scampering down the left with a lovely curled pass. Fekir reaches the box and checks back, teeing up Joaquin for a shot towards the bottom right. The shot’s deflected, nearly into the path of Pedraza, but once again Diego Carlos is on hand to deal with the danger, hooking clear, a perfectly timed challenge inside his own box. Why haven’t Betis played with this verve and intensity before?
85 min: A sudden intricate burst from Lainez nearly opens Sevilla up on the right, but Diego Carlos steps across to usher him away from the danger zone with gentle power.
83 min: Betis probe, but to no great effect. Sevilla seem quite happy to let them sniff around, before dealing with any hopeful ball that’s pumped into the box.
81 min: Two more changes by the home side, as Vazquez and Escudero come on for Reguilon and Torres.
79 min: Pedraza comes on for Moreno, and is quickly in the action, giving Vaclik something to do at last. It’s a pea-roller from the edge of the box, and easily gathered by the keeper, but small acorns and all that.
77 min: A gilt-edged chance for Loren, who snatches at Emerson’s ball from the right, ten yards out, with Sevilla’s defence at collective slumber. That could have seeded a few doubts in Sevilla minds. Still time for Betis to get back into this, even if they’ve yet to make Vaclik do any serious work.
76 min: A fine cross-field move as Suso, out on the right, shuttles inside for Banega, who in turn finds Torres, who finally finds Reguilon on the left. Reguilon’s low cross is snaffled by Robles.
75 min: It’s the end of the road for Munir, who limps off after a fine display, to be replaced by Suso.
73 min: Munir is down, having taken a whack to his calf. The teams take the opportunity to tuck into a few restorative pouches of water.
71 min: Sevilla finally grab a piece of this hot substitute action, as the excellent Ocampos and the not-so-impressive De Jong make way for Banega and En-Nesyri.
70 min: Two more changes by Betis, as Borja and Alena are replaced by Joaquin and Loren.
68 min: Betis finally string a few passes together in Sevilla territory. Canales and Moreno complete a couple of triangles down the left, Fekir has a look on the right. Finally Moreno whips a cross from a tight spot near the left-hand corner flag, but Borja can only skim a header wide right from eight yards. Betis have been awfully blunt up front.
66 min: Betis stroke it around the back, but not in particularly competent fashion. Feddal is nearly closed down and stripped of possession by De Jong, a few yards from his own goal. He’s fortunate that the ball clanks out for a goal kick.
64 min: Fekir embarks on a promising run down the right, but with options in the middle, holds onto the ball for one shimmy too many, and he’s dispossessed. Betis’s star signing has been very quiet this evening.
GOAL! Sevilla 2-0 Real Betis (Fernando 62)
A corner for Sevilla out on the right. Jordan swings towards the near post. Ocampos, his back to goal on the edge of the six-yard box, backflicks towards Fernando, who stoops bravely to guide a header into the right-hand portion of the net! A fine goal, and Sevilla are in control of this derby now. Deservedly so.
61 min: Torres, out on the left, shifts the ball quickly to fox Canales, and whips into the box for Kounde, who misses another header from close range. Betis are rocking here.
60 min: A second change for Betis, as Lainez comes on for Tello.
58 min: Munir embarks on a couple of power skitters down the left. Betis look collectively shocked to have fallen behind. They’ll need to regroup quickly.
GOAL! Sevilla 1-0 Real Betis (Ocampos 56 pen)
Ocampos smacks the penalty firmly into the bottom right, sending Robles the wrong way. That was a soft penalty award, and Betis aren’t happy, but Bartra did have his forearm on the back of De Jong’s neck as the pair battled in the air, so they can’t complain too much.
55 min: Philosophical debates. Penalty coming soon.
53 min: PENALTY FOR SEVILLA! After a couple of wasted corners, a third. Bartra climbs all over De Jong and the referee points straight at the spot!
51 min: Guido is robbed by Torres, who tears off towards a light-handed Betis defence. He earns a corner, but before it can be taken, there’s a VAR check over some coming together or other in the back-chasing pack. Nothing doing, so we move on.
49 min: Emerson picks up the first booking of this new era, deserved punishment for an out-of-control slide towards Munir.
47 min: Sevilla should be leading. Navas scampers down the right with great poise and purpose. He fizzes a low cross inside for Jordan, who should slam home from the penalty spot. His effort is 99 percent fresh-air swipe, one percent contact, the ball clanks between his legs, and the danger is over. What a dismal effort. What a waste of a fine chance!
46 min: Betis start fast again. Tello switches play with a glorious left-to-right sweep. Fekir makes his way down the wing and curls infield. Diego Carlos meets the cross with a powerful clearing header.
Here we go again! Sevilla get the ball rolling for the second half. A reminder that both teams can now make five substitutions from a bench of 12. Betis have used up one of those swaps at half-time, replacing Sidnei with Feddal at the heart of their defence.
Half-time infotainment. Here’s the good doctor Sid Lowe on La Liga’s hopes of getting the fans back sooner rather than later …
… while Jacob Steinberg reports on how the Premier League will go about their business when the ball starts rolling in England next week.
HALF TIME: Sevilla 0-0 Real Betis
Ocampos tests Robles from long distance, but the keeper easily pads the ball away. And that’s the end of the first half. So far, this is a resumption for the purists.
45 min: Ocampos hustles down the right and earns himself a corner. It’s Sevilla’s fifth of the game. The ball’s worked out to Reguilon, on the edge of the D. He lobs forward, in the hope of finding De Jong, but Sidnei bashes a header clear. There will be two added minutes.
43 min: The highly impressive Munir skedaddles in from the left and plays a neat reverse pass that nearly releases De Jong. Munir has the Betis defence in a panic every time he gets the ball.
