Sunday 4th January 2009
Venue: Nuevo Jose Zorilla Stadium
Kick-off: 16:00
Score: 0 – 1
Nikola Zigic’s second stint with Racing Santander got off to the perfect start as he scored the only goal to give them a 1-0 victory at Real Valladolid.
The giant Serbian was thrown straight into the action after returning to the club on loan from Valencia, and made his mark with a 64th-minute strike that was enough to collect the three points and a first win in five attempts for Racing.
The game was a perfect demonstration of why Racing have missed Zigic as much as they have since his departure in 2007, as they struggled to create chances and were second best before the 28-year-old poked home Ivan Marcano’s cross.
Zigic failed to settle with Valencia, and was linked to a host of clubs in the summer before finally making his move as the January transfer window opened, but this performance offers hope the once-prolific player can rediscover the scoring touch with his former club.
Before then, the visitors had created desperately little, with Valladolid goalkeeper Justo Villar called upon only once in the first half, easily holding Pedro Munitis’ 22nd-minute free-kick.
After that, the few chances in the game mostly fell to the hosts.
Pedro Leon cut inside the area before sending a left-footed shot just wide of the far post, and then moments later he was narrowly off-target with a free-kick.
Valladolid kept up their assault in the second half, with Jonathan Sesma sending a close-range shot over the bar just seconds after the re-start.
Alvaro Rubio then lashed a powerful shot just wide of the right-hand upright as the pressure continued to mount on Tono’s goal.
However, the Racing goalkeeper was not being made to work as Valladolid struggled to find the target, with Henok Goitom the next to be guilty of a missed chance as his shot from the edge of the area sailed over the bar.
Pedro Leon then headed into the arms of Tono before Fernandez Borja’s shot made for an easy save.
The hosts were made to pay for those missed chances as Zigic made no mistake with his one and only opening.
Having slipped behind, Valladolid pushed forward again but Pedro Leon’s shooting had not improved as he missed left from inside the area in the 70th minute.
Racing then began to sit back to close out the game, and Valladolid would not threaten Tono’s goal again.
Indeed, it was the visitors who went closest, but Villar’s parried save denied another new Racing signing, Toni Moral, five minutes from time.
The win moves Santander up to 11th place, two points behind Valladolid, who are in ninth place with 23 points.
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