Two storied clubs from the same city share a deep rivalry and a hunger for continental glory. Each side has shown resilience and quality in recent European campaigns, making a possible clash in the knockout stages a tantalizing prospect for fans. The idea of a Sevillian derby in a later round would captivate supporters, but the tournament’s rules and seeding structure often shape outcomes in unexpected ways.
Betis and Sevilla entered the Europa League with strong performances in the group phase, positioning themselves as serious contenders as the competition moves toward the round of 16. The anticipation around a potential derby in this phase is natural for fans who follow both clubs closely, recognizing the unique energy such a match would bring to the competition. Yet the reality is governed by a precise framework designed to ensure fairness and variety across the bracket.
Is there a Sevillian derby between Betis and Sevilla in the draw for the round of 16 of the 2022-2023 Europa League?
The answer is no. The reason lies in the official drawing rules for this stage of the tournament. The structure is crafted to balance merit, away performance, and geographical constraints, which together reduce the likelihood of a classic city derby at this point in the calendar.
First, the top eight teams from the Europa League group stage are seeded. This means they receive favorable positioning in the draw, particularly regarding the distribution of home legs. The eight winning sides from the playoff knockout round are not seeded, creating a dynamic where experience and momentum from the group phase can influence matchups but without automatic shield from all potential cross-border clashes.
Second, the best qualifiers in the group stage tend to host the second leg in the knockout rounds. This advantage rewards teams that performed well in the initial group phase and helps seed a consistent home-and-away balance in the latter rounds, which can also affect derby possibilities by altering travel and fixture timing considerations.
Third, and crucially for those hoping for a Sevillian derby, clubs from the same federation cannot face each other in the round of 16 draw. This federation constraint prevents Betis and Sevilla from meeting in this specific stage, ensuring that cross-border matchups take precedence and opening the door to diverse pairings across Europe.
When you list the teams that ended the group stage as seeded or among the playoff winners in the round of 16, the logic of the draw becomes clear. The seeded group winners included Arsenal, Betis, Fenerbahce, Ferencvaros, Feyenoord, Freiburg, Real Sociedad, and Union Saint-Gilloise. On the unseeded side, the playoff winners featured Ajax, Union Berlin, Barcelona, Manchester United, Juventus, Nantes, Leverkusen, Monaco, Salzburg, Roma, Sevilla, PSV Eindhoven, Shakhtar, Rennes, Sporting CP, and FC Midtjylland. The mix across leagues and nations demonstrates how the bracket is designed to maximize variety and opportunity for different leagues to advance deep into the competition, while still rewarding consistent group-stage performance. In this layout, a Betis vs. Sevilla encounter remains a desirable but structurally unlikely proposition for the round of 16. (Goal)