Madrid: Leo Carrilho scored a second half-winner as Rayo Vallecano secured a 2-1 victory at Real Betis on Saturday for a second straight win to open the Spanish league season.
Carrilho's 62nd-minute winner from a well-guided shot off the break came after a frantic start that saw Rayo lead after two minutes when a cross into the area skidded on to the foot of Francisco "Piti" Medina to score from. Jorge Molina got his head to Benat Etxeberria's free kick to loop Betis' equalizer over goalkeeper Ruben Martinez two minutes later.
Rayo can take comfort in knowing no club has been relegated after winning its first two games since Real Sociedad in 1979.
Sociedad earned its first victory of the season as Imanol Agirretxe scored a pair of second-half goals to rally the Basque club past Celta Vigo 2-1, while Malaga saw a two-game winning streak snapped with a 1-1 draw against Mallorca.
Zaragoza also earned a maiden victory as Helder Postiga scored with one minute to play in a 2-1 win against winless Espanyol, which played with 10-men after taking the lead.
Barcelona can join Rayo atop the standings with a victory over Osasuna on Sunday, while Real Madrid will be without Kaka again as it looks for its first victory of the season at crosstown rival Getafe. Coach Jose Mourinho left Kaka out of the team again after the Brazilian midfielder missed the 3-2 Spanish Super Cup loss to Barcelona, signaling his future lies away from Madrid.
Enrique De Lucas put visiting Celta ahead in the 49th minute before Agirretxe replied five minutes later before his second in the 61st had Sociedad in control. Celta has lost its first two games since returning to the topflight.
In Barcelona, Espanyol scored from a break to lead after 43 minutes but was down to 10 men in the 51st after Juan Albin handled inside the area to set up Antonio Galdeano's penalty equalizer.
Postiga was well-placed in the 89th to volley home the winner for the visitors inside the box as Espanyol's defense failed to clear a cross that seemed to rattle its way toward Zaragoza's Portugal striker.
At La Rosaleda, Tomer Hemed headed Emilio Nsue's short cross home to give Mallorca a 67th-minute lead from the Israeli striker's third goal, which ties him with Molina for league best.
But second-half substitute Juan Miguel Jimenez did well to avoid an offside whistle before slotting home a 77th-minute equalizer for the Costa del Sol club, which travels to Greece to play Panathinaikos on Tuesday holding a 2-0 lead in their Champions League qualifying playoff.
Comments
0 comment