Last Thursday the continuation or elimination of the Sevillian teams in the Europa League was decided. The fact that the two games were played at the same time gave a ‘plus’ of emotion to the classic clash between the two fans. However, of all the possible variants, the worst of them happened: two hours after the initial whistle, the two clubs from the Andalusian capital had succumbed to their respective rivals. The king of the tournament and the only Spanish team alive in the three major competitions suffered a blow that will leave consequences for the rest of the season. There’s no doubt.
From the Verdiblanco point of view, the recent elimination in Frankfurt begins to undermine the great campaign that the team was carrying out. Having reduced the chances of winning a title to an all or nothing in the Copa del Rey, Betis must win at La Cartuja no matter what. You never know when you might get into a final again, and Heliopolis has been short of titles for years. These factors can play a negative role in the squad under the Engineer’s orders, as they could be subjected to psychological pressure that would only worsen the progress of the season. In the League, you will be able to obtain a relative benefit, since the players will have the possibility of reducing the fatigue that plagued them in recent months, due to the constant accumulation of matches.
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Betis players after the elimination by Eintracht. / EFE
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In Nervión the story is different. The Europa League is one of Sevilla’s main goals whenever they have the chance to play it, and any scenario that leads to elimination can be considered a failure. In addition, this year the tournament has the incentive that the final will be played in Pizjuán, which will have to see it without its owner.
Knowing that the Copa del Rey has been ruled out for months, Julen Lopetegui’s squad has yet to secure the second place in the league that they have managed to defend for so many days. Even so, it will not be easy to hold the pulse for eight games against an implacable Atlético de Madrid that has not known defeat in the League for a long time. And it will be less so with the recent rate of draws in which the Seville club has settled, to which is added the 0-0 on Sunday against Real Sociedad.
This season does not have much left, but the capital’s teams still have a lot at stake. The silence that flooded the streets of Seville last Thursday was not sepulchral. There is still a lot at stake, and although neither of the two clubs could be said to have had a bad season as such, one poor result can end a year’s work. For this reason, it is essential to take advantage of the rest offered by the reduction in the load of matches and manage injuries as best as possible. The rest will be taken care of by football.
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