1-2: CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

One day, Vicente Iborra will leave Nervión and maybe then will he be truly appreciated, with the hindsight offered by the passage of time, for how much he gives and will give to this Sevilla FC team.  The Valencian, key to any analysis of the unbreakable spirit of the team he captains, was decisive, coming off the bench to turn round a derby that looked lost at the break.  Sevilla once again demonstrated that as long as they are on the pitch they are never out of it, even when they seem to be like in the first half.  They, of course, were not, and in the second half the match turned sharply, with Sevilla devastating Betis with their footballing quality, but crucially, with their incredible self-belief.

Vicente Iborra doesn’t need to be a certain starter to be the true leader of a team with such heart and pride.  This Saturday in Heliópolis the captain’s tremendous influence on his teammates was once again there for all to see.  Sevilla were deservedly losing 1-0, but at the restart, with Iborra now on the pitch, the match was turned on its head, and what was looking like a terrible afternoon became an exhibition of pride that provided another derby triumph which reinforces Sevilla’s footballing dominance in the city.

Sevilla, unrecognisable in the first half, were transformed by Iborra's entrance, winning the midfield battle and rediscovering their usual character

Perhaps it would simplify the analysis of the match too much to underline Vicente Iborra's dominance as a decisive factor, but it certainly wouldn't be an exaggeration. After a first half to forget, in which Betis imposed themselves with their intensity, and went in at the break with a 1-0 lead, which could have been more, Sevilla totally changed at the restart. Sampaoli changed the system, switching from playing with three at the back and two wing-backs, to a back four, with Iborra and Ben Yedder replacing Franco Vázquez and Sarabia. It was a different game altogether.