Getafe 2 : 0 Zaragoza - Getafe keep Euro ambitions on track

Posted Friday, March 01, 2013 by PA

Getafe boosted their chances of claiming a European place at the end of the season after seeing off struggling Real Zaragoza 2-0.

Adrian Colunga put Getafe ahead in the 22nd minute and Sergio Escudero doubled the lead in the 61st minute with a heavily deflected free-kick following a handball from Glenn Loovens that earned the Zaragoza defender a second yellow card.

Getafe also finished the match with 10 men as Pedro Leon was booked twice in a minute soon after his side's second goal, but the hosts were largely untroubled in the final half-hour as they earned a third successive win in the league - and a short break.

Coach Luis Garcia had promised his side three days off if they followed up last week's win over Real Mallorca with another three-point haul tonight, and the Getafe players certainly looked keen to make the most of that offer.

Leon and Colunga both tried their luck without success in the early exchanges while Getafe goalkeeper Miguel Moya also played his part with a fine save to turn behind Ruben Rochina's 10th-minute effort.

The opening goal of the game was not long in coming, with Getafe taking the lead through former Zaragoza striker Colunga, who bundled the ball home from close range following a low Leon cross.

That goal separated the teams at the break, although Zaragoza missed two chances to get back on terms just before the interval when Loovens and Helder Postiga failed to hit the target with efforts.

A spate of infringements and bookings contributed to a fractured start to the second half, and it was one of those indiscretions that put Getafe in complete control.

Loovens had already been shown a yellow card in the 50th minute for a foul and he was handed his marching orders 10 minutes later after picking up a second booking for handling the ball 25 yards from goal

If that was not bad enough for relegation-battling Zaragoza, Escudero stepped up and, with the aid of a huge deflection off the wall, fired the resulting free-kick past Pablo Alcolea in the visiting goal.

At that point the game looked over but Leon's dismissal soon after, when he was booked for a foul and then a handball in quick succession, meant Zaragoza were handed a lifeline.

However, they could not take advantage as Getafe moved up to eighth spot and to within four points of the Champions League spots.