Joan Verdu has fired up passions for Sunday’s Sevilla derby by claiming it will be the ‘game of the season’ for Real Betis supporters.
The Betis midfielder is hoping the match against their cross-city rivals at the Sanchez Pizjuan will mark a turning point in the season for La Liga’s bottom club.
“It’s the game of the season for our fans along with the derby we play at our own stadium. Hopefully it will serve as a turning point and a win will give us more confidence,” the former Espanyol player told a Press conference.
“It’s a fixture that every footballer wants to play in. The last few games have shown that we have upped our intensity and work and been more focused, which was something we were lacking.
“It means nothing that we go into this game bottom of the table. There is never a favourite in derby matches. Neither of us is having a good time in terms of points but when we go out on the pitch there will be more than three points at stake.”
Verdu believes Betis will be better served by concentrating on their own performance rather than worrying too much about their opponents.
“I’m more concerned about us and we’ll need to be at our best. When we are, we can compete against anyone. We showed that against Madrid and Barca, where we played great for the first 30 minutes.
“That’s what we must continue to do, although not for 30 minutes but for 90. If we do that then I’m sure we’ll win,” he concluded.
