Osasuna on the track beating Gijon

Osasuna on the track beating Gijon

Osasuna continue to recover from a poor start to the season after seeing off Sporting Gijon 1-0 at the Estadio Reyno de Navarra.

Javad Nekounam struck the only goal of the game with a second-half penalty as Osasuna made it two wins from two, having previously taken only one point from their opening three games.

Osasuna had to wait until the 12th round of fixtures for their first victory last season, and until week 16 for their second, so the Pamplona-based side will be delighted with the way they have turned things round at the start of this campaign.

Jose Antonio Camacho's men, who only survived the drop last time out after somehow managing to beat Barcelona and Real Madrid in their final two games, beat Real Valladolid 2-1 in midweek and they followed that up with a deserved three-point haul.

Following an evenly-matched start, Osasuna had a great chance to take the lead in the 33rd minute but Carlos Aranda spurned it.

The in-form Juanfran did well down the right before dinking in a cross from the right that looked to have goal written all over it as the unmarked Aranda threw himself at the ball five yards out, but the much-travelled forward could only glance his header wide of the far post.

With most of Sporting's efforts coming from long-range, Osasuna looked to be in control of the game and they created another good opportunity just before the break, only for the visitors to survive again.

A deep free-kick from Miguel Flano was flicked on by Walter Pandiani and Shojaei Massoud's acrobatic effort beat Sporting goalkeeper Juan Pablo Colinas only for a defender to get back and hack the ball off the line.

Osasuna were back in the box seat following the break as well and Pandiani, looking for his fourth goal of the season, went close with a well-struck drive from the edge of the box.

Pandiani scored a brilliant 35-yard dipping thunderbolt in the win over Valladolid but he was unable to find the net this time.

Osasuna did not have to wait too much longer to take the lead though, when the home side were awarded a penalty after Massoud's attempted cross from the left struck the outstretched hand of Rafael Sastre.

The Sporting players were not best pleased by the decision, and their mood was unlikely to have improved as Nekounam sent Colinas the wrong way from the spot to score what would prove to be the winning goal.

Osasuna came close to doubling their lead in the 65th minute after a loose pass by Sporting midfielder Alberto Rivera gifted Juanfran the ball in front of goal, but the former Real Madrid winger's shot struck the far post as Manuel Preciado's side, and Rivera in particular, breathed a sigh of relief.

The Asturian outfit could not make the let-off count at the other end however, as apart from a header from Mate Bilic that went just wide, Sporting failed to create much to trouble Osasuna.