Real Betis came from behind to secure a thrilling 2-1 win over city rivals Sevilla in el Gran Derbi, as goals from Johnny Cardoso and Juan Hernández cancelled out Rubén Vargas’ early opener in a heated LaLiga encounter.
The hosts extended their recent unbeaten run and tightened their grip on a European place, while Sevilla’s inconsistent season continued with another frustrating result—despite a promising start.
As it happened
Sevilla took the lead in the 17th minute when Rubén Vargas rifled a right-footed effort into the top right corner from the centre of the box, following a clever assist from Dodi Lukébakio. The visitors had been lively on the break and made their early momentum count.
But Betis hit back almost immediately. On 25 minutes, Youssouf Sabaly made a bursting run down the right before cutting the ball back into the area, where Johnny Cardoso met it with a calm finish into the bottom corner to bring the hosts level.
The match remained frenetic, with both sides committing bodies forward and not shying away from physical challenges. After several half-chances, Betis took the lead just before the interval. In the third minute of stoppage time, Isco produced a deft through ball to release Juan Hernández, who slotted a low finish past Ørjan Nyland to make it 2-1.
Sevilla searched for a response after the break but struggled to create clear openings. Nemanja Gudelj saw a speculative long-range strike saved, while Isaac Romero and Chidera Ejuke were kept quiet by a disciplined Betis backline.
Isco, who had already assisted the second goal, continued to pull the strings before being withdrawn in the 71st minute. His replacement, Giovani Lo Celso, brought fresh energy and helped Betis manage the closing stages with maturity.
The game grew increasingly tense in the final moments, with yellow cards shown to both Lo Celso and Saúl Ñíguez. Sevilla pushed forward in search of an equaliser but failed to truly trouble Adrián in the Betis goal, as the home side held on for a memorable derby triumph.
The lineups
BET: Adrián; Sabaly, Bartra, Llorente, Cardoso; Isco, Rodríguez; Antony, Fornals, Rodríguez; Hernández.
SEV: Nyland; Carmona, Badé, Salas, Pedrosa; Gudelj, Lukébakio, Lokonga; Vargas, Romero, Sánchez.