In the early morning of October 7, 2024, the Pizjuan Stadium ushered in a derby match between Sevilla and Real Betis. The game was full of twists and turns. After halftime, Sevilla took the lead through a penalty kick, and near the end, one player was sent off, but fortunately, they still held on to the victory in the end.Jesús Navas will be able to say that he gave it his all in the derby, using whatever physical strength he had left to help the team he's always loved to win. And the biggest rivalry in Seville was back at Sánchez-Pizjuán.

Sevilla still has a bit of footballing spirit, even if they're not quite at the top of their game. They're still a courageous team, though. Without football, it's all about heart. It was a close match with both teams having chances, and the winner was decided by a penalty which Lukebakio converted. After four draws in the derby, Sevilla finally came out on top on the pitch and in the stands. It was the perfect tribute to their captain. Jesús Navas is set to bow out of football with an impressive CV and a gradual winding down of his career. The win against Betis is one to celebrate.

Yes, the first half was mostly dominated by the home team, with Betis having the most aggressive attacks. Every loss is a bit of a shock for Sevilla. Their defensive midfielders struggled to get back and into position before the centre-backs could act. Lo Celso was able to move around the pitch really well. He always knows when the play is starting to get risky. Before the Argentine midfielder started to trouble Sánchez-Pizjuén, the public celebrated a goal by Chidera Ejuke after several rebounds. There was someone in front of me. That was the plan from the start: García Pimienta's men were in attack. The team was struggling to make plays, always on the wing and unable to find Peque or Isaac in dangerous spaces, who were very absent throughout the first half. After Sevilla had their first scare, it was Betis's turn to feel the pressure.

Lo Celso had a couple of attempts from the edge of the area. He was left with a ball bouncing on the edge of the area, like an unexpected gift. He was so eager to shoot that he didn't measure where he should place the ball. The next one was more straightforward, with Nyland taking a shot to the left that came close to the post. The '20' was all over it. And when he moved away from the area, too. The best chance of the first half was a filtered pass to Vitor Roque. The Brazilian striker went up against Nyland from the right side of the area and, as he ran in, he closed the gap to shoot. The Norwegian goalkeeper managed to deflect the ball just enough to avoid it going in. The Betis striker would have another opportunity to score. Sevilla made a mistake with a back pass, and the attacker was quick to shoot with power. Nyland was back in position and managed to close the goal with a few steps forward, preventing the 0-1.

Nervión didn't criticise his team. They realised they were still in the game, even if they hadn't brought their A-game. Ejuke didn't have a chance to show what he could do, as he was always getting tangled up in back passes. Lukebakio was more direct against Ricardo Rodríguez, but he couldn't find space for a shot or get Isaac into a good position between Llorente and Natan. At half-time, the score was tied. Betis had all the opportunities. There were some clear-cut opportunities. Nyland was holding up a Sevilla side that was more excited than effective. The team needed their coach to provide some guidance.

As the second period was about to get underway, we were treated to one of the key plays of the match. Sevilla had a set piece, with Agoumé heading the ball and Llorente handling it in the area. The centre-back and the whole Betis team were really unhappy about the decision from Martínez Munuera. The video assistant referee confirmed it a couple of minutes later. Lukebakio was quick to make the most of this opportunity. He outsmarted Rui Silva and had the Sánchez-Pizjuán crowd singing at the top of their lungs. The only thing that stopped the rout being complete was Isaac Romero missing a chance from Betis for a one-on-one. He took a shot with his right foot but when he cut back and left it for good, he shot without power. The derby really got going.

Betis was hit hard by this setback. Pellegrini looked to respond by making some changes to his team. Bakambu gave the attack another boost with some speed towards the end. He managed to get his foot to the ball on the first attempt, although he was in an offside position. The next one was a bit clearer, with Nyland having to leave his area to cut the ball just before the Betis striker reached it. García Pimienta brought on the ever-present Jesús Navas to leave Lukebakio up front. The Belgian had up to three chances to win the derby. The clearest opportunity came from a long ball that he wanted to take advantage of a poor exit by Rui Silva, who reacted with his foot to avoid the second.

Sevilla were sent off near the end of the match. This is the third time in the last three games that this has happened. Nianzou picked up his second yellow card for a foul in the centre of the field. This could have been avoided. Sevilla had to fight hard to keep the score down. Betis had the chance to equalise in extra time. It was now going to be decided in extra time. There was a real sense of tension in the air. Both teams were affected by this. Sevilla just couldn't keep up. Betis gave it their all, but unfortunately it wasn't enough to secure at least a draw.