First Division - Day 26

Betis 1 - Sevilla 1

Betis: Prats; Varela, Juanito, Rivas, Mingo; Ito, Benjamín; Joaquín, Capi (Dani 82'), Denilson (Ismael 75'); Alfonso. 4-2-3-1.
Sevilla: Esteban; Daniel Alves (Sergio Ramos 80'), Alfaro, Javi Navarro, David; Redondo, Martí, Baptista, Antonio López (Marañon 92'); Antoñito, Darío Silva (Torrado 88'). 4-4-2.

Team changes: Betis: Rivas, Capi for Lembo, Fernando / Sevilla: Redondo, Darío Silva for Casquero, Gallardo.

Goals:
1-0. 02. Alfonso (penalty). After Daniel Alves handled ball following a corner.
1-1. 27. Javi Navarro. Lobbed ball back into net after Prats saved from Antoñito.

Betis and Sevilla played out a 1-1 draw in a bad tempered derby, a result which does little good for either side. Betis had not won against their city neighbours since the 1996/7 season, but they got off to the best possible start when Daniel Alves punched the ball away following a first minute corner and Alfonso scored from the resulting penalty (the Sevilla players protested that the corner should never have been given as keeper Esteban appeared to stop the ball going out).

Midway through the first half Esteban pulled off an incredible save to stop Benjamín extending the lead from a free kick, and a few minutes later Javi Navarro levelled the scores with a lob over the head of Prats after the keeper had saved from Antoñito. Before the break though, Sevilla were left with ten men when Antoñito picked up a second booking for a hard tackle on Juanito.

The home side were unable to take advantage of their numerical superiority after the restart though, and the second half descended into a physical battle between both sides. Referee Pino Zamorano didn't help matters with some poor decisions, for example not allowing Baptista back onto the pitch for two minutes or so after he went off to be attended for an injury, and he was unable to control the numerous clashes between players. In the end a point each though which left Betis in the UEFA spots overnight after their ninth game without defeat, and their opponents still two points behind them.