All is not lost for Betis in the remainder of the season, however. A strong run of form coupled with a drop off from either Atletico or Villarreal could well help them get closer to the top four, while they are also into the last 16 of the Europa League after finishing fourth in the league phase table. They picked up five wins, beating the likes of Ludogorets Razgrad, Lyon, Utrecht, Dinamo Zagreb and Feyenoord. They will face one of Viktoria Plzen, Nottingham Forest, Panathinaikos or Fenerbahce when they return to the competition. The first match of that tie will take place on 12 March, with the return fixture coming a week later.
In the meantime, Antony and Betis will attempt to put the disappointment of the draw with Rayo Vallecano behind them in their next La Liga fixture, which arrives on Sunday when they host Sevilla in the hotly-contested Derbi Sevillano. After that, Pellegrini’s side take on Getafe, Celta Vigo, Athletic Club and Espanyol in Spain’s top flight.