Clinical Zaragoza down Rayo

Real Zaragoza picked up their third win of the season after a clinical 2-0 victory against Rayo Vallecano.

Real Zaragoza picked up their third win of the season after a clinical 2-0 victory against Rayo Vallecano at the Estadio del Rayo Vallecano on Monday evening. The home side created the majority of the chances but struggled to find the target, while in stark contrast the visitors took their opportunities with the triumph moving them above Francisco Jemez's side and into 12th place in the Primera Division. Franco Zuculini put Zaragoza ahead after 20 minutes and although the hosts created plenty of chances from set pieces Antonio Apono put Manolo Jimenez's outfit two up after 59 minutes to snap a three-game losing run. The visitors had the first opportunity when after seven minutes a Cristian Sapunaru free-kick was hit over the bar by Victor Rodriguez from inside the area. Vallecano did not heed that warning and after 20 minutes Zaragoza were ahead as Jose Movilla's pass was fired into the net from close range by Zuculini. Six minutes later and the home side created their first chance of the contest. Carricho Leo Baptistao rose highest to connect with a Roberto Trashorras free-kick from the left, but the striker could not direct his header on target from six yards out. Another accurate Trashorras set piece found a Rayo head yards from goal and this time it was Alejandro Galvez who could not find the target, with his header floating over the top. Galvez fired over from outside the area a minute after the restart before Alhassane Bangoura somehow missed the target from 12 yards after 52 minutes as Vallecano looked to level. However against the run of play Zaragoza went two ahead just before the hour mark, with Apono showing the type of clinical finishing the home side lacked, smashing the ball home from the edge of the area past David Cobeno. Galvez was again guilty of not finding the target with his head in the 69th minute when well placed before Jimenez Roberto was finally called into action tipping Triguero Tito's right-footed effort round the post. But that was as close as they came in what was an extremely disappointing performance from Rayo.