Real Betis stormed back from three goals down to draw 3-3 at home to 10-man Sevilla thanks to a late goal from Emmanuel Nosa Igiebor in a typically fraught La Liga derby between the Andalusian city neighbours on Friday.
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Substitute Nosa nodded home in the 89th minute at Betis's Benito Villamarin stadium, setting off wild celebrations among the home fans desperate for success against their bitter rivals.
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The draw leaves Betis in sixth place on 48 points with seven games left, still in with a good chance of qualifying for Europe, while Sevilla's bid for continental competition looks to be all but over as they remain stuck in 10th on 42 points.
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"In the first half we just couldn't get into the match and they were clearly better than us," Betis defender Antonio Amaya said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster Cuatro.
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"But we were able to come back from three down and we are coming away feeling very pleased with that," he added. "The fans were incredible and really gave us a boost."
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Sevilla had thumped Betis 5-1 at their Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in November but had to repel some early pressure before Ivan Rakitic fired them ahead with a clever finish from a tight angle in the seventh minute.
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The Croatia midfielder added a second 12 minutes later, his first double since moving to Spain in January 2011, and Alvaro Negredo made it 3-0 in the 33rd minute when he clipped a Jose Antonio Reyes cross into the roof of the net.
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Betis were reeling but pulled a goal back two minutes before the break when Dorlan Pabon punished a defensive error and clipped the ball over Sevilla goalkeeper Beto.
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The match turned early in the second half when Ruben Castro struck from the penalty spot to make it 3-2 and Sevilla midfielder Gary Medel was dismissed for violent conduct in the 55th minute after a clash with Jose Canas.
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With a man extra and the crowd roaring them on, Betis laid siege to the Sevilla goal and got their reward with a minute left when Nigerian Nosa leaped to head the winner.
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Betis, who beat champions Real Madrid 1-0 at the end of November, last took part in European competition in 2005-06 when they finished third in their Champions League group behind Liverpool and Chelsea.