There is a little test you can perform on yourself to confirm your propensity to pain and suffering had you been born in another city. Imagine we take a handful of European metropolises which form an essential part of footballing geography, and ask yourself the following question:

If I had been born in X city, who would I support?

Let’s start with London, are you more likely to choose Arsenal or Chelsea, or would your heart be moved towards places like Fulham or even Millwall? Even in cities where the “lesser partner” has also tasted a modicum of success, Liverpool and Manchester for example, if you were making a purely logically based decision on what team to follow, what criteria would you employ?

Moving further afield; Barcelona or Espanyol? Real or Atlético? Bayern or 1860? There is a clear trend towards the kind of person given this choice being more likely to prefer a seat at the drum-kit rather than proudly brandishing lead guitar. Even when the chance of glory is handed on a plate to some people, although glory in a football sense is always peppered with a dash of suffering, even if you happen to have chosen one of the more successful sides, their hearts still tell them to crank up that misery a notch more.

What does this say about your expectations for life? If, even in a fantasy life in which you control part of your own destiny, or at least a guaranteed Community Shield or its equivalent every few years, you choose to make fictitious journeys back from a defeat on a cold, wet, November night at Port Vale, you clearly have the stomach for greater tasks. Perhaps this method should be used as a selection process for job candidates; explain why you would support Torino and not Juventus and the job is yours.

Not too many cities have two teams which evenly create a divide in terms of trophies and affection on the part of its residents. Milan and Glasgow spring to mind, as does Seville. Despite the flurry of cup success in the middle part of the last decade, the two sides’ fortunes have tended to follow similar paths.  Only minor cultural connotations separate the sides (Sevilla play in the city colours, whereas Betis in the green and white of Andalusia) and although people’s fondness for Betis may be more heartfelt as you move away from the city, Sevilla still command an important fan-base outside the capital.

Betis go into Friday’s derby in a position few would have dared to dream of at the beginning of the league; still in touch with the highly-sought after fourth place after spending the entire season in the upper echelons of the table, under the guidance of manager Pepe Mel, they have produced a more than respectable season with what must be described as a limited squad. Whether they can keep hold of the likes of Beñat and Ruben Castro will be a major factor in Betis’ European adventure next year, should they qualify.

Sevilla are also in the midst of a mini-revolution under new coach Emery, though more of a stop-start revolution, the team has clearly shown signs of improvement in comparison to the dire performances under Michel. With Reyes now remembering not only how to run but also looking a good few years younger and promising French talent Geoffrey Kondogbia, the midfield is finally taking shape. If Navas and Rakitic can also function, Sevilla’s belated push for Europe just might stand a chance.

Indeed, this game has a draw written all over it, yet as with most derbies, logic goes out of the window as soon as the whistle is blown. Much will depend on the performances of the goalkeepers as both sides have homework to do in their own final third.

So whatever side of Seville you mentally chose,  country gentlemen or city dweller, Friday’s game will be one of the most closely fought in recent times, as well as potentially season-deciding for both clubs. 

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About the author
Craig Cavanagh
Una perspectiva diferente sobre el fútbol en Hispalis y más allá.