Zaragoza 6 - Rayo Vallecano 1

Zaragoza: Juanmi; Gurenko, Aguado, Paco, Pablo (Lanna 12'); José Ignacio, Toro Acuña; Juanele (Ferrón 70'), Jamelli (Montenegro 70'), Vellisca; Esnaider. 4-2-3-1.
Rayo: Keller; Alcázar, Patxi Ferreira (Iván Iglesias 52'), De Quintana, Mingo; Glaucio, Poschner, Helder (Bolic 46'), Michel; Quevedo; Bolo (Luis Cembranos 50'). 4-4-1-1.

Team changes: Zaragoza: Gurenko, Aguado, Pablo, José Ignacio, Toro Acuña, Esnaider for Cuartero, César Jiménez, Rebosio, Lanna, Aragón, Yordi / Rayo: Ferreira, Helder for Ballesteros, Bolic.

Goals:
1-0. 23. Jamelli. Header from close up after cross from Esnaider on right of area.
2-0. 32. Esnaider. Toe poked past keeper in off post after beating defender.
3-0. 46. Juanele. Took Lanna free kick and beat Keller with low shot.
4-0. 50. Lanna. Following up after Keller saved twice from Esnaider.
4-1. 63. Luis Cembranos (penalty). After Lanna ruled to have pushed Glaucio.
5-1. 65. Toro Acuña. Direct free kick from outside area which deflected off wall.
6-1. 86. Aguado. Header from Toro Acuña corner.

Zaragoza hit Rayo Vallecano for six with a result which would have been more appropriate for a tennis match. Both sides have been off form recently, with Zaragoza letting in five themselves in their last league match at Espanyol and Rayo losing at home to Villarreal. However the Aragón side restored some confidence with a good cup result at Santander midweek, and are finally getting their first choice side back together after a series of injuries. Back came Aguado, Paco, Acuña, José Ignacio and Esnaider for this game, with new signing from Roma, Bielorussia's Gurenko making his home debut after proving his fitness in training.

Jamelli got the ball in the net early on but Carmona Méndez spotted that he had knocked it in with his hand and ruled it out. A few minutes later though he used his head and his side were in front. Esnaider was on excellent form, and he added the second after fighting to win the ball close to goal. Juande Ramos brought on Bolic at the break, but five minutes later they were four down, Juanele scoring before the supporters had even taken their seats and Lanna, who replaced the injured Pablo early on, shooting in from close range with Keller rolling around on the floor in agony after colliding with Esnaider.

Two more substitutions from Rayo stabilised the game momentarily, and one of the new men Luis Cembranos pulled one back from the penalty spot after the referee, presumably feeling sorry for the visitors, awarded a dubious penalty after a tackle by Lanna on Glaucio. But Keller's agony increased as he flailed helplessly at Acuña's free kick, and when Aguado headed down in to the corner of the net even the usually cool American was berating his defence. Zaragoza could even have scored a couple more, with Vellisca hitting both posts with a shot and Esnaider and Acuña shooting wide with only the keeper to beat. But six were enough, and Zaragoza move back to mid-table, only two points behind their rivals who drop out of the UEFA spots down to ninth.