Betis 1 - Auxerre 0

Betis: Prats; Varela, Rivas, Filipescu, Luis Fernández; Ito, Marcos Assunçao; Joaquín, Capi (Fernando 46'), Denilson (Casas 78'); Alfonso (Arzu 85'). 4-2-3-1.
Auxerre: Cool; Radet, Mexes, Boumsong, Jaures; Faye, Tainio, Lachuer, Fadiga; Mwaruwari, Kapo (Cissé 70'). 4-4-2.

Goals:
1-0. 45. Alfonso (penalty). After Radet brought down Denilson in the area.

An early Alfonso penalty was enough to give Betis a 1-0 victory over Auxerre in their first leg match. The striker scored his sixth of the season after Denilson was brought down by Radet in the penalty area in the eighth minute, and it proved to be the winner in this close fought contest. For the first time in this year's competition Víctor Fernández's side were up against serious opposition, the French side coming in at this round having been knocked out of the Champions League, and the manager put out his best available line up.

The Spanish side could have gone further ahead when Cool saved from Joaquín and Denilson shot just wide later in the half. But Auxerre have a talented side, and although Guy Roux surprisingly left Cissé on the bench until late in the game, his two strikers Kapo and Benjani Mwaruwari caused problems for Prats before the break.

Betis did not sit back in the second half though, and Joaquín thought he should have had a penalty when brought down in the area. Assunçao also went close, but the French team were always in danger of getting the important away goal, and Prats had to be at his best to save twice from Benjani and again from a Kapo header at point blank range. They didn't get it though, and Betis are still on track for next spring's final which will be played in their home town of Sevilla.