AMANDA: "YOU CAN FEEL HOW SPECIAL IT IS FOR THE FANS AND I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY"

Amanda Sampedro appeared before the official media ahead of Sunday's Gran Derbi Femenino. The Sevilla Vice-Captain, who accompanied her team-mate Nagore Calderón at the Media Day held on Tuesday, firstly highlighted the general feeling she has ahead of her first derby match:

"From minute one I was told that here I was going to experience a different derby and it's looking like they were right, because for a long time I could already feel that we are building up to a derby atmosphere and many people who have been here for a long time like Almudena, Amparito, Nagore, Martín-Prieto.... They've all made me see what a derby it is, that it's different and I'm really looking forward to playing in it because you feel that it's special for the Sevillistas and that's the most beautiful thing." 

"I think we have a great opportunity to give the fans a win, so that they feel proud of us and that they can come and watch us more and get involved."

Turning to football, she stressed that she expects an intense and intelligent Sevilla side to show up: "I imagine a derby with a lot of intensity where both teams will be looking for the win and with a very determined, very competitive Sevilla, but above all playing a smart game, with a lot of desire to put together their style of play on the pitch and be able to get the win."

In this sense, she stressed that keeping their heads is important when it comes to game management: "You have to play with intensity in all the games, compete in all of them, because in games like this, the team that plays with their head, with intelligence and plays good football is the one that wins."

"I imagine a very intense, very competitive Sevilla, but above all playing a smart game."

The midfielder also spoke about the motivation of the group: "I think the team is well motivated, with a lot of humility and with their feet on the ground, knowing how far they can go, what their virtues are and their certain flaws which we will try to avoid exposing and from there on a physical level I think we are doing well. We are very motivated and also looking forward to the arrival of the international players to have the whole group together and with a great desire to compete and come face to face with Betis."

When talking about their opponents, she stressed that "Betis are a good side with great players and a lot of youth, a medium to long term project looking to achieve great things and from there we know what their strengths are, and also where they are not so strong and where we can hurt them with our strengths and so we are working on that."

Happy to share her thoughts and feelings with the club media, Amanda Sampedro was asked about how she's adapting to Sevilla: "I'm very happy because from minute one the people have made me feel at home, the coaching staff have also tried to get the best out of me from the start, I've come here to improve day after day and bring out the best in myself. Then my team-mates have taught me from the very first moment what Sevilla is all about, its values and how things are done here, and the truth is that I'm excited and eager for more."

And to close, she wanted to send a message to all the Sevilla fans, whom she hopes to make happy on Sunday: "I tell them that we understand the opportunity ahead of us, we are going to leave everything out there in our effort to get the victory that would be for them and that they will be looking forward to coming out to watch us play during the rest of the season."