Sevilla boss Unai Emery declared himself ‘happy but cautious’ following the 4-0 victory over cross-city rivals Real Betis.
Emery told reporters post-match that he was not getting carried away with the result, while he also had words of praise for Jose Antonio Reyes, who has not been a regular in his starting line-up this season but was one of Sevilla’s best players on the night.
“It was a very intense match and both sides showed a lot of hunger. At 1-0 it was a balanced game but the sending off [of Paulao] gave us a lift and allowed us to go for them.
“I’m really happy with the result but I must be cautious and relaxed about it. However, this wasn’t just another day. It was my first derby in the Sanchez Pizjuan and must be treasured.
“In Reyes’ case I took into account that it was a derby and also the emotional state of the players. Reyes has experience of these games so it was ideal for him. His pass for the first goal was spontaneous.
“We are glad he’s back and with how he played but he must continue at this level.”
Emery went into the game with midfielder Ivan Rakitic in a more advanced role, as he explained.
“The approach to the game was the same and the idea is to find a position where he is comfortable in each match.
“Ivan gives us strength and this is one of the things we worked on from the start. I think he brings us more solidity. There’s still a long way to go in the season but this was a derby.
“We will work on things and try to find the correct way to make us even stronger,” he added.
