Struggling Zaragoza beaten at home by Betis
Reuters - Monday 20 February 2012, 22:07
Real Zaragoza's
increasingly desperate fight to avoid relegation from La Liga
suffered another setback on Monday when they were beaten 2-0 at
home by Real Betis.
Forward Ruben Castro netted in each half for the visitors in
a scrappy game at the Romareda as Zaragoza remained rooted to
the bottom of the standings with just 15 points from 23 matches,
five behind 19th-placed Sporting Gijon.
Despite enjoying the lion's share of possession, the
Aragonese club were unable to build on a 2-0 success at Espanyol
in their last league outing, which was their first win in 15
games since mid-October.
They have been unsettled by financial problems and protests
by supporters against their unpopular president and their
victory against Arsenal to win the Cup Winners' Cup in 1995 is
becoming an ever-more distant memory.
Sevilla-based Betis, who climbed to 12th on 29 points, took
the lead four minutes before half-time when Castro stroked a
superb half volley into the top corner from the edge of the
penalty area.
The 30-year-old Canary Islander grabbed his second in the
68th minute when he followed up a Jorge Molina effort to slide
the ball into the empty net.
Zaragoza fans began to drain away from the already
half-empty stadium well before the final whistle and those left
in the stands greeted the end of the game with disgruntled
whistling.