Betis were bottom of the standings not so long ago after going 11 matches without a win stretching back to last season, but since then the Seville-based side have won six of seven competitive fixtures.

The latest success came at home to Racing Santander yesterday, when a brace from Spain striker Sergio Garcia helped Betis claim a 3-1 win that lifted them up to 10th in the standings.

Chaparro is not prepared to settle for just that though, and he is demanding much more from his expensively-assembled side.

"We are improving little by little, but we still have a long way to go. It's still not how I want it to be," he said.

"They say that we play like the top five teams in the league, but my intention is to be like Barcelona.

"We do not have a (Lionel) Messi, but we have some very good players. The fans know that it is not easy to score three goals against Racing, or two goals in the Copa del Rey against Castellon. I hope we continue growing."