The game began at a pace which typified such a fierce rivalry, with Sevilla going closest in the opening 10 minutes as Isaac Romero was slipped in by Albert Sambi Lokonga and cut inside Diego Llorente, but his shot was blocked by the former Leeds United defender.
It was Betis who arguably looked the more threatening side in the early stages, however, with their liveliest player being teenage winger Jesus Rodriguez.
However, they were stung on 17 minutes when an inch-perfect long ball from centre-back Loic Bade found Dodi Lukebakio, who composed himself and checked back before feeding the arriving Ruben Vargas, who hammered home his second goal for Sevilla since joining from Augsburg in January.
It was not long, though, before Betis equalised, as a patient passing sequence culminated in Pablo Fornals playing an incisive pass to Youssouf Sabaly, whose inviting dinked cross was volleyed in superbly by Johnny Cardoso.
Sevilla will have been determined following that setback to go in level at half-time, but in first-half stoppage time, Betis turned the game on its head as Rodriguez’s clever pass to Isco was played exquisitely first time by the former Sevilla playmaker into the path of Cucho Hernandez, who coolly slipped the ball under visiting goalkeeper Orjan Nyland.
Despite their predicament, Sevilla stayed committed to their calculated build-up play while remaining alert to the problems that Rodriguez continued to pose as Isco came close to his second assist of the night, seeing his flighted free-kick met by Antony but saved excellently by Nyland.
Cardoso was the next to go close, curling just wide, before the game’s first two substitutions were made by Sevilla head coach Garcia Pimienta, who introduced Saul and Akor Adams for Jose Angel Carmona and Romero.
Those changes did little to change the complexion of the contest though - and neither did Pimienta’s subsequent three alterations - as Sevilla continued to struggle to create opportunities, and aside from a heart-stopping moment when Adrian was almost dispossessed, Betis ultimately saw out the win relatively comfortably in a feverish atmosphere at Estadio Benito Villamarin.
The result ended 11th-placed Sevilla’s 12-game unbeaten league run in El Gran Derbi (W7, D5) as they prepare to face title challengers Atletico Madrid next Sunday, while a buoyant Betis travel to table toppers Barcelona the day before believing that anything is possible.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Isco (Real Betis)