{"id":1144797,"date":"2020-06-11T23:20:21","date_gmt":"2020-06-11T22:20:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1144797"},"modified":"2021-03-30T10:02:55","modified_gmt":"2021-03-30T09:02:55","slug":"sevilla-2-0-real-betis-five-things-learned-ocampos-kounde","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/sevilla-2-0-real-betis-five-things-learned-ocampos-kounde\/","title":{"rendered":"“He brought La Liga back with a bang” – Five things learned as Sevilla beat Betis in a dynamic derbi"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a lively evening of football, La Liga made its return as Sevilla beat Real Betis in El Gran Derbi at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The stands were empty but the pitch was full of quality as Julen Lopetegui’s men picked up a huge win. What did we learn?<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/a>

Black Lives Matter:<\/span> Read more about the cause footballers are taking the knee for<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

1. Lucas Ocampos has finally arrived<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Lucas Ocampos’ frustrating career and inability to make good on his stunning skill-set has been frustrating, but this season under Julen Lopetegui he has been playing some of the best football of his career and the derbi against Betis was the most emphatic statement possible that he arrives in 2020 as a player ready to take his talents to where his potential has always been heading.<\/p>\n

10 league goals was already a career-high but Ocampos still opened the scoring coolly from the penalty spot. The spot-kick was a controversial award but he dispatched it with absolutely zero hesitation (making this his fifth consecutive La Liga match with a goal). It was a just reward for a player who had been the brightest spark of the game, driving at Betis every time he had the ball, rocketing a ball off the woodwork and having more shots than anyone else on the pitch.<\/p>\n

Of course none of that was even the highlight of his performance, which was his outrageous backheeled assist for Sevilla’s second. He met a corner at the near-post and with the deftest flick of his boot (to prove he’s not all blood and thunder) flicked the ball through the gap in the Sevilla defence and into the path of Fernando who gleefully headed home.<\/p>\n

\n

Lucas Ocampos' game by numbers vs. Real Betis:<\/p>\n

100% aerial duels won (2\/2)
6 take-ons attempted
5 tackles made
4 shots
2 take-ons completed
2 chances created
2 shots on target
2 fouls won
2 crosses
1 assist
1 goal<\/p>\n

He does everything… everywhere. pic.twitter.com\/Iupr6FMzZy<\/a><\/p>\n

— Squawka (@Squawka) June 11, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n