Zaragoza mug Sevilla

D'Alessandro appeared at half time and had an immediate impact with his set-piece while Garcia, also a substitute, finished expertly to secure the points with Sevilla incredulous that they had not taken anything from the match.

Sevilla almost took an early lead when Arouna Kone fed through Luis Fabiano and the Brazilian striker rounded Cesar before just failing to divert his shot on target from a tight angle.

Kone, making his full debut, probed at the head of the visiting attack but was unable to get onto the end of anything in the first half with Frederic Kanoute watching from the bench.

The electric right-back Dani Alves, who was somewhat subdued compared with right midfield cohort Jesus Navas, found his team-mate with a centre on 17 minutes and Navas performed a spectacular scissor kick from the penalty spot that forced Cesar into a good save.

The teams struggled to find their rhythm, though it was not for want of effort. On the half-hour Adriano tried his luck from the right corner of the penalty area and Cesar, who was far more active than Andres Palop on the night, tipped it over the near post top corner.

Navas continued to threaten from the right as Sevilla grew into the match and took complete control. His cross-shot from a tight angle whizzed just past the far post with men arriving.

Some of the fans inside La Romareda began to whistle their players, so disappointed were they with the performance. They must have been even less convinced after the break when Kone immediately twisted through several defenders and Cesar before somehow planting his finish on the wrong side of the post with only a defender on the line.

D'Alessandro had replaced the ineffectual Ricardo Oliveira at the break and had the chance for a rare home strike on goal in the 53rd minute. He lined up the free-kick from over 30 yards out and struck it in the style of David Beckham over and across the wall and into the far corner.

Palop will have been disappointed not to have gotten to it and indeed did not have another save to make until he failed to get to Garcia's finish.

Navas and Fabiano combined as another chance went begging and, seconds after replacing Kone, Kanoute contrived to place the ball wide of the post from 18 yards out.

There were further moments of promise for the visitors but they could not find the finish that they so badly needed; however Garcia, when slipped brilliantly into the left side of the area by Gabi, scooped the ball past the advancing Palop and into the far corner to secure the three points.

Zaragoza have now extended their unbeaten home record to 14 matches, nine of them wins, while Sevilla are now in the midst of an unlikely four-match losing streak.