Real Zaragoza's recent revival came to an abrupt halt as Sporting Gijon recorded a first La Liga win in six games.

Goals either side of half-time from Mate Bilic and Luis Moran had the visitors cruising and, even though Javier Arizmendi halved the deficit in stoppage time, David Barral immediately snuffed out any thoughts of a comeback by netting a third.

Defeat left Zaragoza just a point above the bottom three and ended their run of three matches, including two wins, without defeat.

Victory for Sporting brought to an end a run of one point from a possible 15 and moved them four points ahead of their opponents.

Diego Castro fired over the top for Sporting before the hosts were gifted a chance to take the lead in the seventh minute.

Alberto Botia's backpass gave Zaragoza an indirect free-kick in the centre of the penalty area, but Humberto Suazo's set-piece was cleared.

Zaragoza's on-loan winger Eliseu Pereira twice worked Juan Pablo Colinas, first with a free-kick from the right and then with a shot from 25 yards, but neither effort seriously troubled the Sporting keeper.

Instead it was Sporting who took the lead in the 38th minute as Bilic finished low into the right of the net from Carmelo Gonzalez's pass from the right of the area.

Zaragoza continued to get shots in after the break, Adrian Colunga firing over, Leonardo Ponzio past the left post and Jorge Lopez wide of the right in successive minutes.

It was Sporting, though, who showed they had the cutting edge and, after Bilic had sent a right-footed shot over the top when well placed in the right of the area, Moran doubled their lead with a low shot inside the far post from 12 yards.

Zaragoza looked dead and buried, but the spirit they showed in coming from behind to salvage something in two of their last three games was again on display.

Sporting keeper Juan Pablo saved Suazo's header and then watched Arizmendi nod wide before the visitors might have added to their opponents' woes.

Moran's corner was swung in from the right and Castro headed wide of the right post from the centre of the area.

Zaragoza finally grabbed a lifeline in the second minute of stoppage time.

Two minutes after seeing his header parried by Juan Pablo, Arizmendi met Jermaine Pennant's right-wing cross to send another header high into the net.

But any hopes the hosts had of a stunning late fightback were dashed a minute later.

Castro's pass picked out 81st-minute substitute Barral to seal the points for Sporting with a low right-footed shot.