The latest instalment of the Seville derby will take place at Estadio Ramon on Sunday evening, with Sevilla welcoming their rivals Real Betis to Estadio Ramon in Spain's top flight.
Sevilla are currently 13th in the La Liga table, picking up nine points from their opening eight matches, while Real Betis sit eighth, having collected 12 points from their first eight games of the campaign.
Match preview
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Sevilla only picked up two points from their first four games of the season, but they recorded a much-needed 1-0 victory over Getafe after the September international break and will enter this match off the back of two positive results, beating Real Valladolid 2-1 before drawing 1-1 with Athletic Bilbao.
Garcia Pimienta's side have picked up nine points from their opening eight league games of the season to sit down in 13th position, and they could be in the top half of the division heading into the international break if all three points are secured in the Seville derby this weekend.
Sevilla finished 14th in Spain's top flight last term, which represented their worst campaign since being relegated to the Segunda Division at the end of the 1999-2000 campaign.
Los Nervionenses still look short of being a challenger for a European finish this season, but they have managed to build some momentum and will enter this contest in a confident mood.
Each of the last four La Liga meetings between these two sides have finished level, while Sevilla have not lost a league fixture to Real Betis since September 2018.
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Real Betis will not have too long to prepare for this match, as they were in Poland on Thursday evening for a Conference League clash against Legia Warsaw, suffering a 1-0 defeat to Goncalo Feio's side.
The Green and Whites were victorious in their last league game, though, recording a 1-0 win over Espanyol, with Giovani Lo Celso scoring the winner in the 85th minute of the contest.
Manuel Pellegrini's side have struggled to find their rhythm this season, but a solid start has seen them pick up 12 points from their opening eight matches to sit in eighth spot, only two points behind fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao.
Real Betis were seventh in Spain's top flight last term, and it would not be a surprise to see them in a similar spot in 2024-25, but they must also balance European commitments.
The Green and Whites have not overcome Sevilla at Estadio Ramon since January 2018, but they have picked up a point on their last two visits to their rivals.
Team News
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Sevilla will be missing four players through injury for the Seville derby, with Saul Niguez, Djibril Sow, Isaac Romero and Albert Sambi Lokonga unavailable for selection.
Head coach Garcia Pimienta is expected to keep faith with the majority of the players that took to the field for the first whistle against Athletic, meaning that Kelechi Iheanacho should continue through the middle.
That said, there could be a change at left-back, with Juanlu Sanchez, who continues to be linked with a move away from the club, likely to be introduced for Valentin Barco.
As for Real Betis, Youssouf Sabaly, William Carvalho, Isco and Marc Bartra will miss out through injury, but the team did not pick up any fresh fitness concerns in their European clash with Legia Warsaw.
Marc Roca, Rui Silva, Diego Llorente, Hector Bellerin and Ricardo Rodriguez are set to be among those to return to the XI for the Seville derby, while there should also be a starting role for Abde Ezzalzouli.
Vitor Roque was given the nod through the middle against Legia Warsaw, and the on-loan Barcelona attacker could again start at centre-forward this weekend despite the availability of Cedric Bakambu.
Sevilla possible starting lineup:
Nyland; Carmona, Bade, Nianzou, Juanlu; Agoume, Gudelj; Lukebakio, Fernandez, Ejuke; Iheanacho
Real Betis possible starting lineup:
Silva; Bellerin, Llorente, Natan, Rodriguez; Altimira, Roca; Losada, Lo Celso, Ezzalzouli; Roque
We say: Sevilla 0-0 Real Betis
The last four La Liga meetings between these two sides have finished level, and we are expecting another stalemate on Sunday night. Sevilla will be the fresher of the two teams, but Real Betis are a strong outfit, and we are finding it difficult to back either to lose with any real confidence.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
