Putting a team the favorite poster in a derby is pure talk, we already know. But the one from Lopetegui, by qualifying position, by career, by the precedents … arrives at the appointment that LaLiga opens this Thursday (Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, 22:00 hours) with the feeling that he must dominate the fight from the center of the ring.
The stoppage due to the coronavirus pandemic came at the worst time for Sevilla, just when it was better and as soon as they regained third place with a blow at the table at the Wanda Metropolitano, where they tied but were able to beat Atlético de Simeone (2- 2). The Nervión team had managed to shake off some doubts with several powerful results in difficult scenarios. Especially the appointment at the home of the rojiblancos, the last day before the state of alarm was declared, and a 0-3 in Getafe just when the Bordalás team received all the praise in Europe when they beat Ajax with great football. In between, a suffered victory against Osasuna at Sánchez Pizjuán, a setting where this season was not particularly fine.
With the public divided between Lopetegui supporters and others not so adept at his model, the elimination of the Copa del Rey against Mirandés marked one of the latest crises for Sevilla, which even led to the whistles against his team arriving in games such as the round of 32 round against the Romanian Cluj, in which the VAR saved the white team on the horn from a safe elimination, or the meeting itself against Osasuna, when after a 2-0 the Navarrese team went up to the beards until En-Nesyri achieved the final 3-2.
Sevilla fans have always been characterized by being an important bastion and their drive is one of the aspects most feared by their rivals, although in the last duels at home the nervousness of the stands has translated into anxiety on the field. On the one hand, with the games behind closed doors, those of Lopetegui, more effective this campaign away from home, free themselves of that anxiety in certain parties, perhaps before theoretically weaker enemies, but they lose a tremendous force, since the Seville fans It is a machine to crush rivals if the team manages to hook and connect, especially in games such as those that now play in Nervión, a derby or the visit of a great like Barcelona.
The great concern in the eleven is Lucas Ocampos, the player, along with Diego Carlos, more fit for the team. The Argentine has fallen from the last training sessions with a muscle injury, but the secrecy is maximum and Lopetegui will wait until the last moment to see if he can count on him. He is the team's top scorer (12 goals in all competitions), has scored in the last 5 games and is a scourge for the defenders for his power and his great arrival from the sideline, whether it be the
right or left. If he doesn't finally play, his substitute is a mystery, with chances for Munir, Nolito or En-Nesyri, which would be a false winger that would help De Jong up. He could also pull a man more used to playing in midfield and have the ball like Franco Vázquez or Óliver Torres.
Gudelj is safe, by sanction, a man who had given Lopetegui many tactical solutions, but the three-month hiatus has enabled the Basque to have a player he did not have in March, the Brazilian Fernando, who has had time to recover from a muscle break.
Another proper name will be Jesús Navas, who will play his derby number 21 and who exhibits a moment in a spectacular way. It will be together with the bético Joaquín, one of the protagonists of the meeting.
Vaclik; Jesús Navas, Koundé, Diego Carlos, Reguilón; Fernando, Joan Jordán, Banega; Suso, Óliver Torres and De Jong could be Lopetegui's eleven if Ocampos finally fails the final test.
The Sevilla players took the derby of the first round at Benito Villamarín, a hard blow for the Betis in the so-called 'private league', thanks to a great goal from Luuk de Jong and will try to dedicate the victory to José Antonio Reyes, whose death has been a year and it became a scourge for the verdiblancos in the derbies he disputed.
Statistics also favor whites. Of the 125 official derbies contested, 57 wins correspond to Sevilla, 30 to Betis and 38 of them were tied. Despite all this, there is never, never a favorite in a derby.