Sevilla defeated local rivals Real Betis by a score of 2-0 on Thursday in the first La Liga match since Spanish soccer was suspended March 12.
Within six second-half minutes, Lucas Ocampos converted a penalty before assisting Fernando for the second goal with an audacious backheel flick.
The official restart of Spain’s top flight was played to a backdrop of fake crowd noise borrowed from FIFA video games.
Under normal circumstances, the odds would’ve been stacked against Betis at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Los Verdiblancos won just one of their 13 away matches before the 2019-20 campaign was postponed, while their red-clad foes had lost only two of their 13 home fixtures.
Despite there being no fans during an affair known for its noise and color, each team played with an intensity befitting a derby match. For some time, the final result wasn’t a foregone conclusion.
Borja Iglesias, Sergio Reguilon, Carles Alena, and Diego Carlos all performed tough tackles in the opening stanza, punctuating a half in which Sevilla had the edge. Barcelona product Munir El Haddadi was especially dangerous …read more