The Spanish La Liga became the second major soccer league to return to action after previously suspending its 2019/20 season due to the coronavirus pandemic. The honor to lead the way belonged to crosstown rivals Sevilla and Betis, who faced in the popular Seville Derby on Thursday night.
Sevilla won the match 2-0 thanks to goals from Lucas Ocampos and Fernando.
Sevilla was dominant for the better part of the match while Betis focused on defending their goal and threatened from counterattacks. After a score 0-0 at halftime, Sevilla increased the pressure which resulted in a penalty kick in the 56th minute after Betis defender Marc Bartra fouled striker Luuk de Jong. Ocampos took the responsibility and calmly converted from the penalty spot to give his team the lead.
After scoring, the Argentinian winger decided to honor the fans by saluting the stands, despite the fact that the game was played without an audience.
“I had never played a derby here before and even though the fans are not here I still wanted to honor them and make it feel like they were and show that we are working hard for them,” said Ocampos.
Just six minutes after this, Fernando added to Betis’ misery. The veteran midfielder used the stir in the penalty area following a corner kick and scored with a header to increase Sevilla’s lead.
Betis tried to bounce back but lacked the creativity to make a worthwhile chance in front of Tomás Vaclík’s goal.
The win helped Sevilla solidify themselves on the third place in the standings and continue their push for a Champions League spot. Betis, on the other hand, remain in the 12th position and won’t play in Europe next season.
