To many, among whom I count myself, it is not a bit of grace that the Sevillian derby, the party of matches in the old Híspalis, has been renamed #ElGranDerbi. In this modern world of hashtags, trending topics and likes, but also of haters and trolls, the pad has regained a status that it never had in the Spanish language. You have to sell the LaLiga brand and its derivatives, including the quintessential Cainite duel, which they seem to have discovered now beyond Despeñaperros. One hundred and odd we have already. But hey, the truth is that our derby, the derby, is great. There they have not been wrong. Although perhaps the Betic and Sevillistas do not need pronouns or surnames. It is to name the derby and we already know that it is huge, immeasurable, colossal.
The sauce for all dishes. The essence of a bipolar city divided between two overflowing passions. The train crash to the very edge of the heart attack at least twice each year. The sublimation of eternal rivalry and colored green and red, red and green. The forbidden tones in the other’s neighborhood, not in the other neighborhood. There, in the third and fourth rings, the derby is still being played. The one of all the life. The usual. Because, thanks to God and to all the saints, reincarnated in our toilets, this 7-N we recover normality in Benito Villamarín. Yes, we will have to keep a certain distance and cover ourselves with masks, but what is that next to these two years of filth, of empty stands, of lost jobs, of fulminated lives.
Who was going to tell us that March 15, 2020 the one that was coming our way. More than three months locked up tight, in a State of Alarm without war (although with an invisible and lethal enemy), and almost 20 now without being able to fully enjoy something as Spanish as kisses, hugs, meetings between friends. Almost two years have passed (they would be fulfilled on November 10) without a derby with the stands to burst. It was also in La Palmera, with 53,110 souls in the stands, and ended with a victory from Nervion by 1-2. Precisely, fake football would return after that horrible ‘impasse’ with a derby at Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán (2-0), in which we all began to hear the voices of the coaches, footballers and referees with strange clarity.
The optimists took the tip out of that horrendous substitute, that echo that would freeze the blood of any sports lover. For me, I sacrifice those new sounds, imperceptible all my life, to recover the chants, the applause, the rumbling field, the whistles … Real football returns once and for all to the Sevillian derby and, among all of us, we must honor it. You have to rise to the occasion. The fallen layers are not worth me, that Sevilla FC depends on itself to stand in the second round of the Champions League. It is enough to beat Wolfsburg and Salzburg, which are not Sacchi’s Milan either. Anyone has a bad afternoon, like the red and white against Lille, but neither is all lost nor does it have to be dramatized. Much less in LaLiga, where he only stumbled in Granada and the Nervionenses are clearing up the debates about his game with the roll of the results.
As for the verdiblancos, idem de idem. That they painted their faces in the Wanda and the BayArena, all right. Two gores in a row, a double jug of cold water and a necessary reflection during the new national team break that is coming. If they kneel in the derby, there will be talk of a crisis, at least for two weeks. But, if the Heliopolitans get up like so many other times, everything will be a bad memory. In the Europa League, in addition, it is in their hands to be second, although the pass to the eighth would depend on an additional and bloody play-off against a third from the UCL. The path to the Conference League, a title surely more feasible, is guaranteed, although no one says that Leverkusen will win everything they have left, so their thing is to make a plenary session against Ferencváros and Celtic in case the shortfall falls . With or without Fekir, there is plenty of staff.
This derby like the old ones, like the usual ones, is the third dose we need in Seville to continue moving forward. The cure for all ills, current and prescribed. Winning the eternal rival would give life, to the point of being forgiven all or almost all the sins committed. That is why Pellegrini, with everything, and Lopetegui, without Navas and En-Nesyri, strive to make their people aware that the match of matches is a great medicine, sports and soul. One last effort before another Fifa parenthesis that will be eternal for the loser, very short for the winner and, surely, dark gray for both in the event of a tie. Half measures are not worth in this type of encounter.
In purely football, the ‘Engineer’ has put all his cards on the table since the day before. He has no notable absences, beyond the usual headgear (Sabaly, long-lasting, plus Camarasa and Paul) and two habitual discards (Joel and Rober). For his part, the one from Asteasu argues that this Sunday there will be a last session to save the call until the very prolegomena. In principle, it has already ruled out NaVas (until 2022 already) and En-Nesyri, so there are not too many variants either. The Chilean, lover of rotations, will be more on insurance this time, at the same time as his Sevilla counterpart, less given to vary if there are no mishaps, even more so.
At Betis, the normal thing is that Rui Silva remains under the sticks to give Bravo the usual rest before and after playing with his team. Montoya’s “turn” to enter, but the most logical thing is that Bellerín continues on the right side, with Álex Moreno on the left. Pezzella and Edgar, who rested in Germany, would be inside. Guido Rodríguez, untouchable in the medullary axis, can be accompanied by Guardado, Canales or William Carvalho, in decreasing order of possibilities. The Portuguese international has recently lowered his benefits, so the position that the Cantabrian occupies, called to be a starter again, will depend on the configuration of Fekir’s companions in the midpoint, with Rodri and Juanmi awaiting their moment. Above, Willian José will enter through Borja Iglesias.
At Sevilla, there won’t be many surprises in contention, with Montiel filling in for the injured Navas and Koundé, Diego Carlos and Acuña completing Bono’s guard. Fernando will be the anchor, while Delaney’s mistakes against Lille should cost him his place in favor of Joan Jordán or Rakitic. Óliver Torres, the rediscovery of Lopetegui, would finish off that ‘trivote’, while Suso and the reborn Ocampos will be the companions above Rafa Mir. Fewer options are craving for Munir and Lamela, surely waiting to enter after refreshment, while Papu would arrive more just for the eleven, but it should not be ruled out either.
PROBABLE ALIGNMENTS.-
Real Betis: Rui Silva; Bellerín, Pezzella, Edgar, Álex Moreno; Guido Rodríguez, Guarded or Canales; Rodri, Fekir, Canales or Juanmi; and Willian José.
Sevilla FC: Bond; Montiel, Koundé, Diego Carlos, Acuña; Fernando, Joan Jordán or Rakitic, Óliver Torres; Suso, Ocampos and Rafa Mir.
Referee: Mateu Lahoz (Valencian).
Stadium: Benito Villamarín.
Time and TV: 21:00 (M + LaLiga).
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