An unfortunate early collision between teammates Sofyan Amrabat and Isco was cause for concern, and ultimately forced off the latter 10 minutes in, having only just returned from a lengthy injury lay-off. The former soldiered on for another five minutes, but he too was withdrawn, unable to continue against the club where he started his career.
A dangerous cross from Souffian El Karouani narrowly evaded Sebastien Haller, signalling Utrecht’s intent, but Betis soon seized control of the contest, routinely threatening for the rest of the half.
With almost 30 minutes gone, swift interplay saw the ball worked to Cucho Hernandez, whose shot from a tight angle was cleared off the line by Mike van der Hoorn.
That was as close as Betis came before the game’s opener arrived three minutes before the break, as Antony showcased his strength and persistence to win the ball high up the pitch and pick out Hernandez, whose diving header found the far corner for his first goal in Europe.
Having lost five of their last six away fixtures in all competitions heading into this one, Utrecht had a sizable task on their hands, especially after El Karouani was forced off with a nasty head injury after colliding with his own goalkeeper at the end of the first half.
Just five minutes after the restart, the Spanish side doubled their lead thanks to Abde Ezzalzouli, who cut in from the left and rifled a low shot past Van der Hoorn.
That looked to have set Betis on their way, but against the run of play, Utrecht pulled one back with an incredible Miguel Rodríguez effort from the halfway line that caught Alvaro Valles off-guard.
Just four minutes later, the visiting fans were off their seats again, but those celebrations were cut short, denying Derry Murkin a close-range sweeping finish thanks to his offside in the build-up.
The Dutch team were carrying more threat as they searched for a leveller, which ultimately never materialised as an evenly-contested second half drew to a close, making it six competitive games without defeat (W4, D2) for Betis.
Los Verdiblancos have now lost just one of their last eight matches (W5, D2) at their temporary home, a streak that sees them occupying a top-eight spot after five matchdays.
Still winless after five league phase matches, (D1, L4), Utrecht are yet to defeat a Spanish team, and find themselves staring down the barrel of elimination, five points adrift of a playoff spot.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Antony (Real Betis)