Goalkeeper Jack Butland was on hand to deny Rangers' La Liga opponents as Abde Ezzalzouli's class threatened to dampen the mood in Glasgow in the first half.

At the other end, Tom Lawrence and Borna Barisic both struck the frame of the goal.

In Group C's other fixture, Sparta Prague overcame Aris Limassol 3-2, with Rangers travelling to Cyprus next.

Failure in the Champions League play-off against PSV Eindhoven was a sobering experience for the Rangers supporters, but not as much as that jaunt into the big boys' playground was last season.

Zero points were garnered in a group campaign laden with heavy beatings, so a return to Europe's second-tier competition for a team in transition perhaps offered more of an opportunity for Michael Beale and his squad.

There were similar frustrations to those the Ibrox crowd has experienced during their side's sticky start to the campaign, most notably when Rabbi Matondo spurned a glorious chance by slashing the ball straight at Claudio Bravo when through early on.

Sima also flapped at an opportunity from close range which threatened to be an ominous missed opportunity for a team yearning for a big performance to ease the pressure on their manager.

Rangers had to ride their luck and rely on the alertness of Butland to thwart Ezzalzouli twice. The Moroccan also lashed over from the edge of the area, while Butland produced several smart stops as Rangers held on in the closing stages.

But there was a resoluteness to the home display, with the Glasgow side striking during a period of dominance. Lawrence's bending shot scuffed a post, while Barisic arced a dipping free-kick form 20 yards off the crossbar.

But Rangers finally got the goal their pressure deserved on what could have been a flat night against La Liga's 10th placed team.

James Tavernier's corner was nodded back into the box by Sam Lammers, sparking a panic in the Betis defence. Kemar Roofe scuffed a shot at Bravo from point-blank range, only for Sima and Ben Davies to combine to net.

Player of the match - Kemar Roofe

An exquisite pass from Roofe should have been an assist but for Matondo's poor shot at goal, and his snapshot on the turn was wonderfully saved by Bravo

'A job well done' - analysis

BBC Scotland's Kheredine Idessane at Ibrox

Betis have some fabulous technical footballers. Ezzalzouli, Luis Henrique and, of course, Isco, the much-decorated midfield maestro who played well over 200 games for Real Madrid.

So for Rangers to beat them is a job well done.

What will please Beale is his side's resilience and energy, and refusal to back down. Rangers weren't great in the first half at all, but played with greater quality and intensity after the break and weren't fazed by the quality of their opponents.

They skimmed a post, smacked the crossbar and took their chance when it came. Had Matondo scored, as he should have done after only two minutes, it may have been a much more comfortable night.

A deserved win and just the start to the group that under-pressure manager Beale wanted.

What's next?

Rangers return to Premiership duty on Sunday when Motherwell come to Ibrox (15:00 BST). Their next Europa League challenge comes away to Aris Limassol (17:45).