Seville and Betis drew 0-0 in a tense, controversial derby, with few clear chances and Sevilla enjoying moments of supremacy despite the wear from their previous European clash. The midweek marathon against Juventus had left Sevilla shuffling the lineup, yet their run toward a seventh Europa League final remained in sight. Betis, meanwhile, showed a tougher, more compact approach, pressing when possible but rarely opening up enough to test the opposition goalkeeper.
After a more measured first half, the clash intensified as Betis were reduced to ten when Juan Miranda’s late challenge in the 87th minute earned him a straight red, leaving Sevilla to chase a winner. Jesus Navas showed more urgency as Sevilla sought a goal, but Betis stood firm, notching another important point as they continued their European campaign hopes for a third straight season.
Both sides entered the match with a European flavor in mind, a fixture that always carries nerves, intensity and a touch of unpredictability. Sevilla had more miles on the clock after their heavy load against Juventus, yet carried the enthusiasm to push for a seventh Europa League final; Betis arrived on the back of two recent wins, aiming to cement European involvement for another year and widen the gap to the nodal positions.
Betis sat five places and 55 points behind the top-six, four points from fifth (Villarreal) and ten behind fourth (Real Sociedad). Chilean manager Manuel Pellegrini made three changes from the win over Rayo, swapping out Édgar and Willian José for others, with Italian-Brazilian Luiz Felipe and Borja Iglesias continuing, and Brazilian left-back Abner earning a surprise start over Miranda.
Coach Jose Luis Mendilibar, lauded as the architect of Sevilla’s revival, fielded eight different players from the side that reached the Europa League final. Rafa Mir replaced En-Nesyri, while only central defender Gudelj and midfielders Óliver Torres and Ivan Rakitic kept their places from the previous lineup, with Navas, Badé, Acuña, Fernando, Bryan Gil and Ocampos among those who were rotated out.
The derby began with high intensity but contained little danger in either penalty area. It felt like two cautious teams, both wary of overextending and gifting a moment that could swing the game. Sevilla enjoyed more possession, yet their presence in the final third rarely culminated in serious chances, mirroring Betis’s measured approach.
Verdiblancos, led by Guido Rodríguez and William Carvalho, prioritized structure over risk. They packed the middle, closed gaps quickly and preferred transitions to be short and sharp rather than prolonged forays into attack. Pape Gueye and Luiz Henrique each tried to inject vertical movement, but opportunities remained scarce as both sides clung to a defensive mindset.
Despite the visit of Papu Gómez and Borja Iglesias pushing forward, the first quarter of an hour produced only speculative efforts. Borja Iglesias forced a save and Papu Gómez bent a shot wide for Sevilla, but neither side found a clear path to goal as the contest settled into a tense, controlled tempo.
As the clock ticked on, Sevilla’s wide players looked for pockets of space, while Betis pressed with discipline, ensuring that shots were either blocked or off target. The pressing remained compact, the midfield battles fierce, and chances were measured, the kind of game that rewards the patient and punishes the careless.
Sevilla sought a breakthrough through a sequence starting with a promising cross from Óliver Torres, finished by a low shot from Rafa Mir that Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo saved, only for the play to be ruled offside after a VAR check flagged a teammate in an offside position earlier in the move.
In the second half, Carvalho came on for Luis Henrique and Betis shifted to a slightly more aggressive posture, while Canales, Ayoze and Rodri provided a spark from deeper positions. Yet the team’s focus remained on containment, and the duel stayed tight with few alarms for either goalkeeper.
On the Sevilla side, the intent to press higher did not translate into a sustained attacking threat. Mir and Papu Gómez produced glimpses from distance, but Bravo remained untroubled for long stretches as the chances stayed rare and the game’s main narrative centered on control rather than chance creation. Lamela and Suso offered solutions off the bench, but the final third remained stubbornly quiet for both outfits.
Betis, despite contributing to the balanced mood of the night, could not conjure a decisive moment either. Borja Iglesias and Carvalho had quiet spells, Joaquín appeared late as a substitute but was met with a chorus of whistles from the home crowd, underscoring the difficult night for the Verdiblancos in front of goal. Miranda, who had been influential at times, found his afternoon cut short by the red card that reshaped the dynamic and left Betis with a numerical disadvantage for the closing minutes.
Sevilla tried to exploit the extra man when En-Nesyri and Bryan Gil entered the action, followed by Navas and Acuña for Mir, Papu and Montiel, among others. Yet the end result remained stubbornly level, as the teams exchanged possession and worked the ball with more intention than precision, without producing a breakthrough at the final moment.
The spell of pressure toward the end did not yield a late winner for Sevilla, and Betis failed to convert their numerical edge into a decisive attack. The derby finished in a draw, a result that kept both sides in the frame for European qualification but left them with work to do to reach the heights they seek this season.
In the aftermath, the stadium reflected a balanced mood: pride in effort, a touch of frustration at missed chances, and the lingering sense that this rivalry will continue to produce edges of tension and drama in the race for European football next season. The point distribution mirrored a game built on caution, discipline and mutual respect, a classic Seville derby in which both teams left everything on the field but found no winner to celebrate together.