Super Eagles in El Gran Derbi — Adams and Ejuke ready to shine in Seville's biggest clash

On Sunday evening, El Gran Derbi returns to LaLiga and this time, two Nigerian stars will be carrying the hopes of their club in one of Spanish football's most ferocious fixtures.

When Real Betis and Sevilla meet in Spain’s top division, football stops in Andalusia.

Akor Adams and Chidera Ejuke, two Super Eagles, two clubs. one city and everything on the line.

Akor Adams arrives at this fixture with the wind at his back and a point to prove simultaneously.

The 26-year-old has been Sevilla's standout performer in a difficult season, six LaLiga goals and three assists make him their top scorer and one of the club’s most creative attacking threats.

Last weekend, he was the decisive figure again, producing a clever flick inside the Getafe penalty area to set up Djibril Sow for the only goal of the game, a result that ended a three-match winless run and gave Sevilla's season fresh momentum.

But Adams knows that assists and good form mean little if Sunday ends in defeat. He carries personal motivation into this fixture that goes beyond league positions and statistics.

When these two sides met earlier in the season, Sevilla lost 2-0. Adams was there and in one of the most frustrating moments of his campaign, was denied on the goal line in a moment that still stings. He has publicly spoken about his hunger to turn the tide for the Sevilla faithful this time around.

Five games without a goal, a derby on Sunday and a chance to finally break that drought against the biggest possible opponent.

If there is a script written for this fixture, Adams knows exactly what his ending looks like.

Chidera Ejuke's numbers this season, one goal and one assist in LaLiga, do not fully capture what the winger brings to Sevilla's attack.

His last goal came in December 2025, and the drought will not be lost on a player of his quality and ambition.

But derbies have a habit of producing performances that statistics alone cannot predict. Ejuke's pace, directness, and ability to beat defenders in tight spaces are exactly the qualities that can cause chaos in a fixture where both sides throw caution aside and commit men forward.

Nearly scored last weekend against Getafe, a dazzling individual run that ended agonisingly against the side-netting. The goal is coming. Whether Sunday is the day depends on how well he manages the intensity of the occasion.

This edition of El Gran Derbi comes with an added twist. The fixture moves to the Estadio de la Cartuja, a different setting from the usual venues, one that strips away some of the home advantage that traditionally shapes this rivalry and places both sets of supporters in unfamiliar territory.

Real Betis arrive as the side with momentum in this particular matchup. They won the first derby of the season 2-0 and come into Sunday looking to complete a league double over their city rivals for the first time in recent memory.

Manuel Pellegrini's side has been one of LaLiga's most dangerous attacking units this season, built around the revitalised Antony, the Brazilian winger whose permanent move from Manchester United has transformed both his career and Betis' attacking play.

Six LaLiga goals, five assists, and three more in the Europa League. Antony against Adams and Ejuke is a subplot worth the price of admission alone.

Beyond the individual stories, beyond the statistics and the personal points to prove, El Gran Derbi is about pride. It always has been.

Seville is a city that takes this fixture personally, in the streets, in the bars, in the offices and the schools, the result on Sunday will be discussed for weeks.

For Adams and Ejuke, representing Nigeria on this stage is both an honour and an opportunity. A big performance in El Gran Derbi does not just influence a club's season, it announces a player to a wider audience and shapes how the football world perceives them.

Adams wants his goal. Ejuke wants his moment. Sevilla want revenge for November. Sunday in Seville. Kick off at 6:30 PM. Do not miss it.