Carlos Martins double earns Recreativo much needed victory

Recreativo Huelva 2-1 Real Zaragoza

Portuguese midfielder Carlos Martins scored twice as Recreativo Huelva came from behind to beat Real Zaragoza at the Colombino on Sunday.

The summer signing from Sporting scored a superb individual equaliser, before going on to get the winner for Recre, who climb out of the relegation zone with their fourth league win of the season.

Martins was the only member of Recreativo’s 3-man Portuguese contingent to start the match, with injury-plagued defender Roberto Beto missing out on the squad and forward Silvestre Varela – also signed in the summer from Sporting – left on the bench.

Zaragoza came into the game having lost three and drawn one of their last four games, but the visitors got off to a good start after twenty minutes when Diego Milito got on the end of a long ball and beat Sorrentino with a cool finish.

Recre were behind for only four minutes, however, as Martins produced a superb equaliser. The 25-year-old picked up possession on the halfway line and, with the Zaragoza defence backing off, carried the ball to within twenty metres from goal before unleashing an unstoppable left-footed shot that found the bottom corner.

The hosts went ahead in the run-up to half time when referee Undiano Mallenco awarded a penalty after Juanfran was adjudged to have handled inside the area. Martins stepped up to take the kick, but his poor effort was saved by Cesar, only for Camunas to react first to the rebound and square for Martins to convert from close-range.

It was Martins’ fourth goal of the season, making him the side’s top goalscorer in La Liga. Varela was not called from the bench in the second half, while Martins was replaced by Victor Munoz as the team held out for a vital victory in their battle against relegation.

Recreativo Huelva:
Sorrentino, Calvo, Poli, Bouzon, Caceres, Vazquez, Martins (Barber, 69), Aitor, Camunas, Javi Guerrero, Pongolle (Congo, 77)
Yellow Cards: Poli, Vaquez

Real Zaragoza:
Cesar, Diogo (Gabi, 65), Juanfran, Paredes, Ayala, Luccin Zapater, Oscar (Oliveira, 65), Aimar, Sergio Garcia (D’Alessandro, 74), Diego Milito
Yellow Cards: Luccin, Oscar, Paredes

Goals:
[0-1] Diego Milito, 21
[1-1] Carlos Martins, 25
[2-1] Carlos Martins, 41