Not by any stretch of the imagination did Real Betis play their best match or put in the best performance of the season. Nor did they have the best chances. Not even can the referee be blamed for the defeat, but he was an accomplice, very much so. The game was evenly matched, Athletic had scoring opportunities and possession but Calderón's team was very much in the fight keeping there hopes alive and looking the match in the eye. However, in the 30th minute of the match the home team were hard-done-by. Rubén Castro was running up the wing, the Canarian feigned to get past Balenziaga in the area and the defender brought him down, it was clear to everyone at the stadium except one man. Gil Manzano walked up to the forward and took out a yellow card admonishing him for diving. Ruben could not believe his eyes but misfortune was not to stop there. In the next piece of play, Kike Sola started a run up the pitch and before he got into the area he fell, supposedly brought down by Perquis. If there was any contact at all in the play it occurred outside the area and could not be a penalty which is what Gil Manzano gave. In two minutes Betis were losing the match as a result of the referee's decisions. The protests followed and apart from Perquis, for the foul, Lolo Reyes also got a yellow card. Muniaín scored Betis plunged into an understandable state of nerves, Perquis more than the rest. The defender could not get the piece of play out of his mind and he dropped out of the match. In the 40th minute he did a hard tackle and Gil Manzano gave him a second yellow card and he was sent off. In that moment all hopes of a positive outcome disappeared; a victory was what the team needed. Betis continued trying even after the madness that had marred the match. Led by Rubén Castro the team from Heliopolis tried to bounce back. First he put in a long pass to Cedrick but the Congolese was not able to make the most of it, later a centre from the wing but it was not finished off by Cedrick and Salva's shot bounced off San José for a corner kick. Such was the absurdity of the referee's performance that he even blew the whistle to end the first half before time.

In the second half Jordi came on for Baptistao and Calderón restructured the team. Betis came out with renewed vigour and energy, without giving a thought about being behind on the scoreboard and that were a man down. Cedrick could have reduced the gap but Iraizoz held the winger's shot well. However, the good start to the second half was just a mirage, which lasted until Gil Manzano set off Lolo after showing him a second yellow card supposedly for a handball in the centre of the pitch. The referee's star performance did not end there, there was more to come. Even when they were two men down Betis kept trying. They were not able to create organised pieces of play but they created some danger off dead ball situations, but Gil Manzano took centre stage once more. In the 20th minute, Salva took a corner kick which Jordi deflected with his head and Rubén took his shot. The goalkeeper saved the shot but the ball had come into contact with a visiting defender's hand, but Gil Manzano signalled a corner kick. A tremendous referee's performance they had to put up with. The Betis players protested but as the minutes ticked by their intensity dwindled. Now all that remained was to endure because of all the extra effort needed as they were two players down, and Guillermo's goal in the 35th only announced an already clear outcome. The match soon eluded Calderón's team, in the 30th minute of the first half, but this time the errors were committed by the referee who did not seem to get it right throughout the match.