Seville Derby: Sevilla vs. Betis Preview, Odds, News, Prediction

El Gran Derby or simply a Seville Derby is the match between Sevilla and Betis, one of the fiercest rivalries in the entire world. The first game took place all the way back in 1915, and ever since, these two sides have been in a state of constant war. The intensity of these clashes is unprecedented, and it is a massive waste that there are no fans at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan tonight. Sevilla comes in a bad mood, following a couple of painful blows, while on the other side, Betis is on the rise, improving its form enormously over the past few weeks. 

Preview

Sevilla (+100) was brutal against Borussia in Dortmund, but they allowed two easy goals, and even though they stayed unbeaten, 2-2, their UEFA Champions League saga ended. It wasn’t how Julen Lopetegui imagined finishing the participation in Europe’s most prominent club competition.

This was the fourth straight match for Rojoblancos without a victory, following three defeats, two of them against Barca and one by the hands of Elche. One of those losses to Barca was in the Copa del Rey’s semifinals, where Sevilla lost a 2-0 lead from the opening leg, exiting the competition due to a 3-0 rout at Camp Nou.

After seven consecutive wins at Pizjuan, with six clean sheets during that stretch, Sevilla posted two losses in the last two games, allowing at least two goals in each. 

Betis (+275) has two defeats in the previous 14 matches, one in Copa del Rey, and against Barcelona after a massive battle, 2-3. Heliopolitanos didn’t deserve to lose that event, but an own goal scored by Ruiz was the mistake that made a difference in the end. 

Yet, the team responded well after that, beating the next four opponents. Overall, they have been playing very well on the road, with seven wins, two defeats, and one draw over the past 10 events. 

Right now, Manuel Pellegrini’s side has six in a row away from home without a failure, with five wins included. In all but one game (the latest against Cadiz FC), this team netted two more goals. 

Latest News

Alex Vidal is definitely out for the home tea, while Diego Carlos remains doubtful. 

Camarasa and Dani Martin are ineligible for Betis.

Head to Head Games

Officially, there have been 133 matches between these two sides, and Sevilla has a better record. The Rojoblancos won 62 times, Betis has 39 wins, and 32 games saw no winners. 

The first game of this campaign ended 1-1, with both goals coming in the span of five minutes. Suso scored for the guests in the 48th minute, and Sergio Canales leveled from the penalty in the 53rd. Nabil Fekir missed another penalty for the home team in the 75th minute. 

Prediction

Betis would be very pleased to win one point at Pizjuan, and Pellegrini will most definitely set up defensive-minded tactics. Meanwhile, after being eliminated from the UCL and posting several poor results in a row, Lopetegui, too, wont to risk yet another blow, and his gameplan will also be pretty cautious. All this points to low efficiency in tonight’s clash, and we are suggesting going with under 2.5 goals.