Under the circumstances, Ten Hag could do without suffering any more injuries before the season starts and United did not seem impressed at what they perceived was a soft refereeing performance from Alexis da Silva, an MLS regular.
Rashford was on the wrong end of a couple of tough challenges. He needed treatment after the second, when Da Silva appeared not to notice the England forward getting caught on the ankle inside the box, and eventually went off.
Rashford was not moving freely but it was not clear whether the substation was pre-planned as, within a couple of minutes, United made half a dozen.
Antony only lasted 23 minutes of the second half before he was forced off. The Brazilian indicated to reporters afterwards he had hurt his hand.
It was a special night for Heaton.
The 38-year-old has not played a competitive game since February 2023 and told BBC Sport last week of his hope he would get more opportunities this season.
Although he admitted responsibility for Real Betis’ opening goal, he still enjoyed playing in front of a crowd of over 20,000.
“Yes is the honest answer,” he said, when asked if it felt good to play. “It was fantastic to be out there. The feeling you get when you play is incredible. I love it.
“Other than bounce (practice) games it has been a while since I had a proper 90 minutes. It felt quick at times but I built into the game.”
