Manuel Pellegrini’s team had key players missing but still enjoyed a first triumph at the Sánchez-Pizjuán since 2018
“W
hat can I say?” Pablo Fornals said, “really nice”. Mostly, in truth, it hadn’t been, but it was in the moment when he had illuminated everything, taking Batista Mendy, César Azpilicueta and Kike Salas out for a walk – first this way, then that – and it was now, the 144th Seville derby finally ending 20 minutes behind schedule and with a Real Betis win.
“You dream of playing games like this, just playing them,” Fornals said as high in the south-east corner of the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium, 600 supporters in green sang, adding: “so to score and win, well, me, my teammates, all those lunatics up there and back home, you can imagine how happy we are”.
Imagine it? You could hear it, celebrations just getting started on the pitch and in the stands. You could see it on their faces too, all except Antony who was wearing civvies, a blue cap on backwards and a cut-out Isco mask. The Brazilian and the brother he had “become”, had missed the game that consumes the city, the end of the world every time. One suspended, one injured, two wild swipes had done it: two moments so silly it was hard not to laugh and Antony actually cried, live on TV, while everyone else feared the worse. Now though, he too was happy, cameras on him again as he headed down to the pitch to piggy-back teammates and wrap a flag around Fornals, whose outrageous opening goal had set up a 2-0 win.
