Racing Santander Take Over As Leader In Spanish Second Tier

Racing Santander secured a victory away at Real Zaragoza, and in doing so moved to the top spot in Spain’s second tier.

The victory achieved at La Romareda (2-3) has catapulted Racing to the top of LaLiga Hypermotion with 17 points. This win allowed the Verdiblancos, who have now secured four consecutive victories on the road, to break yet another unfortunate record. Racing had not won at Real Zaragoza’s ground since 1996, but this season, 2024/25, they have already exorcised two ghosts: they collected three points in Tenerife after almost 50 years and beat Club Deportivo Castellón in Castalia for the first time in their history. Three out of three.

To achieve this latest milestone, Racing took the lead with goals from Pablo Rodríguez and Vicente, conceded two goals in the second half while playing with 10 men, regained the advantage with a stunning strike from Aldasoro, and then preserved the win as Ezkieta saved a penalty deep into stoppage time. It was a thrilling match, a team victory, and a triumph that placed Racing as league leaders.

The match saw a couple of tactical changes from manager José Alberto, with Saúl starting at left-back and Pablo Rodríguez stepping into the attacking midfield. These adjustments proved fruitful, as the Canarian striker broke the deadlock just past the half-hour mark, giving the Verdiblancos the lead at La Romareda. Before that, in the 18th minute, Arana had scored what looked like the opener after a brilliant build-up between Vicente, Pablo Rodríguez, and Saúl down the left flank, but the referee disallowed it for offside.

The second attempt, however, counted — albeit not without some drama. Andrés collected the ball on the right side, dribbled past his defender, and delivered a low cross to the penalty spot where Pablo Rodríguez managed to get a toe on it, guiding the ball into the Aragonese net. 0-1, and it was a well-deserved lead. The travelling Cantabrian fans erupted in celebration, but referee Sesma Espinosa, after receiving a signal from the VAR team in Las Rozas, went to check the video monitor. After careful review, he allowed the goal to stand. A second wave of celebrations followed.

Zaragoza was hoping to impress their supporters on the first day of the Virgen del Pilar festivities and sought a quick response. Racing, however, remained solid and continued to create chances. Just before halftime, they struck again with a moment of brilliance. Andrés swapped his goal-scoring boots for the role of playmaker, delivering a pinpoint long pass that found Vicente behind the Zaragoza defence. Vicente coolly chipped the ball over the onrushing Poussin with his right foot, showcasing exceptional skill. 0-2. Racing were flying, and just before the whistle for halftime, Arana nearly added a third after a neat combination on the right involving Michelin and Andrés, only for his low shot to be saved by the Zaragoza keeper.

The second half began with another opportunity for Arana, again set up by Andrés. Moments later, however, Racing’s situation worsened when Manu Hernando was shown a second yellow card, reducing his team to 10 men with 40 minutes left to play. Racing now faced the daunting task of defending their lead at La Romareda, with over 21,000 fans pushing Zaragoza forward.

Manager José Alberto quickly adjusted, introducing Javi Castro, Íñigo, and Suleiman, who the Gambian national team had just called up. Later, Ekain and Pol Moreno were brought on, with Pol courageously playing the last 20 minutes while injured. Everything was for the team. In the 57th minute, Tasende pulled a goal back for Zaragoza, and just three minutes later, Ezkieta made a crucial double save at point-blank range to deny the equalizer. However, the home side found their way back in the 66th minute when ex-Racing player Soberón netted to make it 2-2.

With the match tied and half an hour remaining, the stadium erupted, but the atmosphere soon quieted in the 70th minute. Aldasoro unleashed a spectacular shot from outside the box, curling the ball into the top corner. An unstoppable strike. 2-3.

Still, the drama wasn’t over. Racing defended bravely as the clock ticked down, but Zaragoza were awarded a penalty in stoppage time. The Romareda crowd was already celebrating an equalizer as Aketxe stepped up to the spot. However, Ezkieta had other plans. Diving to his right, he pulled off a stunning save to seal Racing’s victory. Almost 30 years after their last win on the banks of the Ebro, Racing took home all three points. The dream continues.

Racing manager José Alberto, who secured his first win as a coach at Zaragoza’s stadium, praised the collective effort. “A lot of credit goes to the team for this victory; it was everyone’s achievement. I think the first 45 minutes were some of the best we’ve played all season.

“After the sending-off, we had to suffer with 10 men on a tough pitch like this. But we took the lead again, and I want to highlight that today, players who hadn’t played this season came out and gave everything. There are still things we need to improve, but I really value these three points. I’m happy for the fans, even though not all of them could make it here, and for the celebration we had on the pitch.”