Betis 0 - Sevilla 1

Betis: Prats; Varela, Melli, Arzu, Mingo; Ito, Fernando; Joaquín, Capi, Denilson; Gastón Casas (Dani 67'). 4-2-3-1.
Sevilla: Notario; Redondo, Javi Navarro, Pablo Alfaro, David; Casquero, Torrado; Gallardo (Marcos Valés 62'), Reyes, Fredi (Njegus 90'); Toedtli (Antoñito 57'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Betis: Ito, Gastón Casas for Filipescu, Cañas / Sevilla: Redondo for Njegus.

Goals:
0-1. 76. Marcos Valés. Acrobatic volley past keeper after Antoñito crossed in.

Sevilla won their local derby match at city rivals Betis 0-1 to rise up to eighth place in the table, four points behind their opponents. Home team president Ruiz De Lopera decided to ban opposing supporters and only open the gates to season ticket holders after serious crowd trouble and consequent ground closures in matches between the two sides in the past, and 10,000 Sevilla fans watched the game on giant screens at their own Sánchez Pizjuan stadium.

Betis fans will say that at least one Sevilla supporter did get into the ground though - referee Pérez Pérez. He turned down three penalty appeals from the local side, the most blatant of which was a hand ball by a Sevilla defender from Denilson's free kick, and booked the Brazilian winger for diving in the second half. Other than that the match was a typical derby, with few scoring chances and a lot of hard tackles breaking up the flow of play.

The home side did have most of the scoring opportunities, with Gastón Casas, restored to the side, shooting just wide, Denilson striking a dipping free kick just over the bar and Joaquín hitting the side netting. Sevilla's only reply in the first hour was a shot from Casquero following a short free kick which he put wide of the post, and Caparrós eventually turned to Antoñito and Marcos Vales to try and liven things up.

It couldn't have been a better decision, and a quarter of an hour from the end Vales got on the end of Antoñito's cross to beat Prats with an acrobatic volley. Sevilla's good run in the Ruíz De Lopera stadium continues, and Betis have now only won once there in their last eleven first division derby games, and that was back in 1994/5. The fans in the Sánchez Pizjuan were jubilant.