Real Zaragoza 2-2 Sporting Gijon: A Florent Sinama Pongolle Double Drags Ten Men Los Manos Back For A Point

La Romareda saw a magnificent double salvo from striker Florent Sinama Pongolle in the second half to steal Real Zaragoza a point from what looked a lost cause. After dominating the first half, an own goal from left-back Ivan Obradovic gifted Sporting Gijon the lead at half-time. Things took a turn for the worse after the break for los Manos when Jiri Jarosik conceded a penalty and was a shown a red card. Diego Castro made no mistake from the penalty spot and looked to have sealed los Rojiblancos their second win of the season. It wasn't to be however, Sinama Pongolle, who had been quiet all game, smashed a four minute double around the hour mark to gives the hosts a point. The ten men didn't look out played in the final stages but Mate Bilic should have finished the game for Sporting with two golden chances.

Real Zaragoza pushed their visitors hard in the opening twenty minutes of the game without ever really testing Sporting keeper Juan Pablo.

Ander Herrera was central to los Manos best play, twice getting himself in dangerous positions but the little playmaker was either hauled to the ground or surrounded in red and white shirts.

Diogo tried a clever lob which only just dropped the wrong side of the crossbar, after breaking upfield from right-back. The keeper looked to have it covered despite scampering back.

Just before the half hour mark the Rojiblancos were allowed to tread forward into the hosts half. Real had pressed tirelessly for half hour and were struggling to keep their tempo. Sporting's attacks were fruitless as they failed to get men in the box.

Sporting then took the lead completely against the run of play and it took an own goal to do so. With Real's keeper Toni Doblas barely having to use his hands in thirty minutes of play, they were eventually need to collect the ball from his net. Sloppy play allowed Gijon to break quickly from a free-kick and when the ball was pushed wide to Alberto Lora, his low cross clipped the feet of left-back Ivan Obradovic and inside the near post.

Bottom of the Spanish Primera division side Zaragoza lost their way after the goal with the increased pressure to make their dominance pay dividends. Sporting finished the half infront without a single shot on target.

Whatever the home side's instructions were during the half-time team talk went out the window just three minutes into the second half. Torres David Barral skipped round Jiri Jarosik and the Czech defender sent the Rojiblancos striker up in the air as Barral burst in on goal. The referee had little choice but to award the penalty and send off Jarosik. Barral was forced off for treatment taking a heavy blow from keeper Toni on his way to ground, so Diego Castro stepped up. The striker confidently sent Toni the wrong way to give the visitors a cushion.

That cushion lasted less than eight minutes. Herrera and Gabi linked up superbly to release Sinama Pongolle, who set himself and slammed his shot from a tight angle in off the bar.

The former Liverpool man then stunned the away side four minutes after his first strike. Sinama Pongolle collected the ball thirty odd yards from goal and carried to the edge of the box before sliding it with precision past Juan Pablo to level the score at 2-2.

Zaragoza just couldn't give up the chase for a winner and continued to look a genuine threat to snatch one, however substitute Mate Bilic should have guaranteed all three points for Sporting. Firstly failing to guide his header from no more than a few yards past Toni, and then deciding to drill his shot rather than place it with almost too much time to decide inside the box.

The spoils were shared in Zaragoza leaving the hosts still rooted to the bottom of the table without a win this season.