Just four minutes into this game, Ferran Jutgla fired in a low shot from outside the area, and although Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles got a hand to it, he couldn’t prevent it from rolling over the line.
Celta’s attacking set-up kept the hosts on the back foot from there, with Pablo Duran and Jutgla firing wide and straight at Valles respectively.
Meanwhile, the best chance of an equaliser before half-time saw a Cucho Hernandez shot blocked – a frustrating moment that precipitated progressively louder whistles from the stands.
Though both sides looked to play expansive football, misplaced passes and mistimed tackles quickly turned this match into a scrappy affair.
But even then, it was the visitors who were getting their foot in, with Marcos Alonso and Oscar Mingueza leading the charge in this respect.
Abde Ezzalzouli somehow missed two glorious chances for Betis, including a header that could only find Ionuț Radu’s gloves, whilst Aitor Ruibal and Marc Bartra also went close as the hosts belatedly showed some attacking intent.
Within four minutes of the restart, a wonderful through ball from Ruibal found Hector Bellerin, and he lifted the ball over Radu for his first-ever LaLiga goal for the Verdiblancos.
That totally changed the complexion of the match, as Betis poured forward at every opportunity, with both Bellerin and Junior Firpo raiding down the channels.
Celta duly responded to what looked like a potential onslaught all the way to full-time with a triple substitution around the hour mark, before Jutgla had to be helped off after a clash of heads.
The match took on an end-to-end quality as it reached the closing stages, with both teams remaining intent on going for the win.
Borja Iglesias looked to have won it for the visitors with eight minutes to play, but he was denied by the official’s offside flag, before Ruibal went up the other end and saw Radu go full-length to keep his effort out.
The result sees Betis remain in fifth place in the Spanish top flight, three points ahead of Celta in sixth, as both sides seek to gain the points to ensure European football next season.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Aitor Ruibal (Real Betis)