Sevilla beat local rivals Real Betis 2-0 as La Liga returned after three months away on Thursday, becoming the second of Europe's five major leagues to resume following the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

After the Bundesliga in Germany restarted on May 16, La Liga opened its doors again to players but not supporters at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, where the usually vibrant Seville derby was played in front of empty stands.&nbsp;

The game was the first in Spain's top flight since March 10 but 93 days later another professional fixture has been completed without incident, offering further encouragement to the Premier League in England and Serie A in Italy.&nbsp;Both are set to return next week.

Lucas Ocampos gave Sevilla the lead from a 56th-minute penalty and Fernando Reges then added the second goal for the home side, who are third in the table.

This was the first leg of a 39-day sprint to the finish in La Liga, that will see teams playing every three days for five and a half weeks and undergoing stern examinations of their fitness.

Both coaches made use of their new allocation of five substitutes and there was a drinks breaks in each half but the contest lost its fluency late on, in part because Betis never looked like staging a comeback.&nbsp;

Victory strengthens Sevilla's hold on third place as they move four points above Getafe and Real Sociedad below them. Betis sit 12th and face the possibility of being dragged into a relegation battle.&nbsp;

This was as far from a typical Seville derby as could be imagined, a pale shadow of the division's most heated fixture and a clear demonstration of what has been sacrificed to keep the season going.&nbsp;

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<h2>- Virtual supporters -</h2>

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"I always believed we would play again," said La Liga president Javier Tebas, who had also indicated on Thursday that "10 or 15 per cent" of fans could attend stadiums before the season finishes on July 19.&nbsp;

For now though, stands remain empty, the voices of the players and coaches audible and the atmosphere strange. On television, fans at home had the option to add virtual supporters taken from the computer game FIFA, as well as chanting, which ebbed and flowed according to the action.&nbsp;

When the excellent Ocampos and Fernando scored, there was cheering, and when substitutes came and went, there was applause.&nbsp;

Earlier, the players had arrived wearing masks and gloves and their temperatures were taken before entering the stadium. Outside, around 200 supporters had come to greet the team buses but they dispersed shortly after, with 600 police and security personnel in attendance to prevent mass gatherings.&nbsp;

"No fans allowed but we're here and we can't wait," shouted a 60-year-old supporter in a Sevilla shirt.&nbsp;

There was a minute of silence held before kick-off in memory of the victims of the pandemic, with the players standing at a distance from each other around the centre circle. In the 20th minute, there was applause to pay tribute to those working on the front line.&nbsp;

In the stands, the substitutes, still wearing masks, sat spread out in the rows behind their coaches and Sevilla's were among the few celebrating when the goals flew in shortly after half-tiime.&nbsp;

They were comfortable winners as Ocampos scored a penalty after Marc Bartra was ajudged to have pushed Luuk de Jong and, six minutes later, a delightful Ocampos flick at the near post allowed Fernando to head in a second.&nbsp;

Sevilla beat local rivals Real Betis 2-0 as La Liga returned after three months away on Thursday, becoming the second of Europe's five major leagues to resume following the coronavirus pandemic.

Sevilla beat local rivals Real Betis 2-0 as La Liga returned after three months away on Thursday, becoming the second of Europe's five major leagues to resume following the coronavirus pandemic. After the Bundesliga in Germany restarted on May 16, La Liga opened its doors again to players but not supporters at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, where the usually vibrant Seville derby was played in front of empty stands. The game was the first in Spain's top flight since March 10 but 93 days later another professional fixture has been completed without incident, offering further encouragement to the Premier League in England and Serie A in Italy. Both are set to return next week. Lucas Ocampos gave Sevilla the lead from a 56th-minute penalty and Fernando Reges then added the second goal for the home side, who are third in the table. This was the first leg of a 39-day sprint to the finish in La Liga, that will see teams playing every three days for five and a half weeks and undergoing stern examinations of their fitness. Both coaches made use of their new allocation of five substitutes and there was a drinks breaks in each half but the contest lost its fluency late on, in part because Betis never looked like staging a comeback. Victory strengthens Sevilla's hold on third place as they move four points above Getafe and Real Sociedad below them. Betis sit 12th and face the possibility of being dragged into a relegation battle. This was as far from a typical Seville derby as could be imagined, a pale shadow of the division's most heated fixture and a clear demonstration of what has been sacrificed to keep the season going. - Virtual supporters - "I always believed we would play again," said La Liga president Javier Tebas, who had also indicated on Thursday that "10 or 15 per cent" of fans could attend stadiums before the season finishes on July 19. For now though, stands remain empty, the voices of the players and coaches audible and the atmosphere strange. On television, fans at home had the option to add virtual supporters taken from the computer game FIFA, as well as chanting, which ebbed and flowed according to the action. When the excellent Ocampos and Fernando scored, there was cheering, and when substitutes came and went, there was applause. Earlier, the players had arrived wearing masks and gloves and their temperatures were taken before entering the stadium. Outside, around 200 supporters had come to greet the team buses but they dispersed shortly after, with 600 police and security personnel in attendance to prevent mass gatherings. "No fans allowed but we're here and we can't wait," shouted a 60-year-old supporter in a Sevilla shirt. There was a minute of silence held before kick-off in memory of the victims of the pandemic, with the players standing at a distance from each other around the centre circle. In the 20th minute, there was applause to pay tribute to those working on the front line. In the stands, the substitutes, still wearing masks, sat spread out in the rows behind their coaches and Sevilla's were among the few celebrating when the goals flew in shortly after half-tiime. They were comfortable winners as Ocampos scored a penalty after Marc Bartra was ajudged to have pushed Luuk de Jong and, six minutes later, a delightful Ocampos flick at the near post allowed Fernando to head in a second.

La Liga resumes after three months away as Sevilla defeat Betis

Spanish football authorities on Monday chalked out plans to resume the halted La Liga 2019-20 season in June with clubs getting permission to return to training this week for individual training – two months after the campaign was postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

Players, who were restricted to train indoors amid lockdown measures, will begin individual training this week after the Spanish government lifted sports-related measures.&nbsp;

La Liga president Javier Tebas said that the league has a comprehensive protocol to safeguard the health and well-being of everyone involved in the resumption of the season in the month of June.

"People's health is paramount, so we have a comprehensive protocol to safeguard the health of everyone involved as we work to restart La Liga," league president Javier Tebas said in the statement.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/no-spitting-no-fans-baseball-restarts-s-koreas-sports-season-296751" hreflang="en">No spitting, no fans: baseball restarts S. Korea's sports season</a>

"Circumstances are unprecedented, but we hope to start playing again in June and finish our 19/20 season this summer."

<h2>Players allowed to train</h2>

From Tuesday, footballers in Spain will undergo COVID-19 tests and will be allowed to take to the field once the result is out negative.

Earlier, Tebas had said that Spanish first and second-division football could start on May 28-29, June 6-7 or June 28-29 with the possibility of matches happening behind closed doors.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cristiano-ronaldo-returns-to-turin-after-coronavirus-lockdown-296743" hreflang="en">Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Turin after coronavirus lockdown</a>

Meanwhile, Copa Del Rey finalists – Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao – issued a joint request to play the summit clash of the tournament in front of fans and the request has received support from the Spanish football federation (RFEF). This would be the first all-Basque final in the history of the competition.

"The desire and will of both clubs have always been, now and before, to play and enjoy the final match along with the supporters," they said in a joint press release. "This is what we would like most. A final to be lived with our supporters in the stands."

The fixture was originally scheduled for April 18 in Seville at the Olympic Stadium, known as La Cartuja. But no new date has been fixed, as of now. 
&nbsp;

Spanish football authorities on Monday chalked out plans to resume the halted La Liga 2019-20 season in June with clubs getting permission to return to training this week for individual training – two months after the campaign was postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Spanish football authorities on Monday chalked out plans to resume the halted La Liga 2019-20 season in June with clubs getting permission to return to training this week for individual training – two months after the campaign was postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic. Players, who were restricted to train indoors amid lockdown measures, will begin individual training this week after the Spanish government lifted sports-related measures. La Liga president Javier Tebas said that the league has a comprehensive protocol to safeguard the health and well-being of everyone involved in the resumption of the season in the month of June. "People's health is paramount, so we have a comprehensive protocol to safeguard the health of everyone involved as we work to restart La Liga," league president Javier Tebas said in the statement. ALSO READ: No spitting, no fans: baseball restarts S. Korea's sports season "Circumstances are unprecedented, but we hope to start playing again in June and finish our 19/20 season this summer." Players allowed to train From Tuesday, footballers in Spain will undergo COVID-19 tests and will be allowed to take to the field once the result is out negative. Earlier, Tebas had said that Spanish first and second-division football could start on May 28-29, June 6-7 or June 28-29 with the possibility of matches happening behind closed doors. ALSO READ: Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Turin after coronavirus lockdown Meanwhile, Copa Del Rey finalists – Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao – issued a joint request to play the summit clash of the tournament in front of fans and the request has received support from the Spanish football federation (RFEF). This would be the first all-Basque final in the history of the competition. "The desire and will of both clubs have always been, now and before, to play and enjoy the final match along with the supporters," they said in a joint press release. "This is what we would like most. A final to be lived with our supporters in the stands." The fixture was originally scheduled for April 18 in Seville at the Olympic Stadium, known as La Cartuja. But no new date has been fixed, as of now.

La Liga eyes June return as Real Sociedad, Athletic Bilbao request Copa del Rey final to be played in front of fans

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La Liga resumes after three months away as Sevilla defeat Betis

La Liga eyes June return as Real Sociedad, Athletic Bilbao request Copa del Rey final to be played in front of fans