From Anfield to Antony. This was a night of atonement for those Manchester United starters involved in the Anfield aberration only four days earlier.
Marcus Rashford, Antony, Bruno Fernandes and Wout Weghorst, all guilty of specific transgressions in the humiliation by Liverpool, exorcised some demons to restore normality at a club whose upward trajectory suddenly dipped at the weekend.
Antony, one of the most feckless participants at Anfield, was decisive on another European night at Old Trafford. Defenders show the Brazilian inside at their peril. and the nonchalance with which Antony curled the ball out of the reach of Claudio Bravo is partly why Erik ten Hag prioritised his acquisition.
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Abner Vinicius, the Real Betis left-back, had not got the memo. Bravo watched the ball fly past him as though it were a bird gliding by. For all Antony's flaws, his left-footedness has redressed a lopsided United attack and he is the scourge of Spanish defences after deciding the previous round against Barcelona.
Fernandes was deliberately the first to be serenaded by those in the militant singing section; vocal backing for the de facto captain who has led impeccably all season, bar Sunday. Fernandes claimed an assist and a goal.
"Bruno, Bruno, Bruno" chanted the United supporters as Fernandes savoured his eighth goal of the season to put United 3-1 up. There were bear hugs from Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez before Fernandes acknowledged his family in one of the hospitality boxes in the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand.
Fernandes was so selfless he accepted the blame for one of David de Gea's umpteen appalling kicks, patting his chest to publicly accept responsibility. Fernandes's body language was improved by his redeployment as the No.10 while Weghorst assumed the No.9 role he was bought to fulfil.
A goal seemed certain to elude Weghorst again yet this was the night and he got his Old Trafford goal at the ninth attempt. Weghorst had the ball in the net before Marcus Rashford's sixth-minute goal only Fred had strayed offside. The former United trialist Luiz Felipe superbly diverted a goalbound prod by Weghorst wide and blocked another effort. The Dutchman skied a cross from Luke Shaw that the errant linesman failed to notice he was offside.
Finally, Bravo's parry from a Scott McTominay shot gifted Weghorst a tap-in on 82 minutes. Weghorst has a meagre two goals in 15 United games but his work rate continues to draw appreciation from the matchgoers. He owed them a shift after his act of blasphemy in the Anfield tunnel. Weghorst turned to the Stretford End and punched the air as his name was announced as the goalscorer.
Weghorst's durability at 30 years of age should not be underestimated. He has been overplayed and overexposed by the 27-year-old Anthony Martial, back in squad training on Wednesday. He was absent for the 15th matchday squad running on Thursday.
For a team prone to being caught cold at the start of halves, United struck while the iron was hot on the coldest night in M16 all season. Antony and Fernandes's goals inside the first 13 minutes of the restart were reminiscent of Liverpool's ruthlessness.
Ten Hag had promised in his programme notes the players had learnt critical lessons from their hiding at Liverpool and the quickfire goals early in the second half indicated that. The 4-1 scoreline flattered Betis and United officials can be forgiven for planning European midweeks in April.
United would have had a more comfortable night if they were more clinical in a first half they nearly ended 2-1 down. Ten Hag was predictably dissatisfied with the jittery defence enough to hook Diogo Dalot for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, whose unlikely alliance with Antony regained control of the tie.
Dalot's removal was the 19th half-time substitution by Ten Hag this season and the fifth in the last six games was hooked at half-time. Ten Hag's knack for intervening to ensure victory is an underrated asset for this more tactically flexible United side.
Rashford's strike was as assured as his miscued effort at Anfield wasn't, his celebration more fervent as he placed his index finger against his temple. The Liverpool miss was still on his mind.
United's frivolousness was typified by Fred's attempted pass to Rashford that downgraded attack into defence and Ayoze Perez, unattended inside the area, struck precisely into the bottom corner.
Betis had caused consternation without fashioning an outstanding chance prior to Perez's poaching. De Gea's distribution seems to be worsening with every week and one pass was nearer a steward than a teammate. Another calamitous clearance was deflected onto the post by Shaw.
De Gea's kicking was not as shameful as the kerfuffle between both sets of supporters as full-time loomed. Some Betis fans whipped off their belts, threatening retribution for the baiting they were subjected to by United supporters. Some attempted to hurdle the stewards and the segregation barrier to engage.
It was an unedifying end to an evening that the travelling fans had provided vibrant support with their green and white scarves and flares. A child no older than two was in the directors' box on her mother's lap.
Up the other end, the natives chanted 'Bruno, Bruno, Bruno' again.
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