BILBAO, Spain — Rayo Vallecano continued its remarkable run up the Spanish standings with a 2-1 win at Athletic Bilbao Friday thanks to goals by Alhassane Bangoura and Francisco “Piti” Medina. Rayo, with the topflight's smallest budget, was expected to struggle after selling forward Miguel “Michu” Perez last summer. Instead, the minnow's daring attacking style has it on a four-game winning streak and provisionally in sixth place. Bangoura opened on the break three minutes after halftime and Piti then netted his ninth goal of the season with a penalty in the 65th after Carlos Gurpegui fouled Alejandro “Chori” Dominguez. Mikel San Jose grabbed one back in the 77th, but substitute Fernando Llorente left the San Mames crowd dumbstruck when he missed a point-blank header late. Ajaccio holds PSG Paris Saint-Germain gave 40 million-euro man Lucas Moura his Ligue 1 debut Friday, but it was fellow Brazilian native Thiago Motta who stole the headlines by being red-carded in a lackluster 0-0 draw against Ajaccio. The result gave the big-spending Paris club a one-point lead at the top of the table having played one game more than title rivals Lyon and Marseille who play Saturday and Sunday, respectively. On a miserable night for PSG, coach Carlo Ancelotti saw midfielder Motta sent-off just before half-time for a foul on Frederic Sammaratino. Things got worse 10 minutes after the interval when defender and captain Thiago Silva went off injured. Lucas, 20, playing for the first time since his winter transfer window switch from Sao Paulo, was given little chance to shine in a team featuring four other Brazilians — Alex, Thiago Silva, Maxwell and Italian-Brazilian Motta. Ajaccio, under new coach Albert Emon, played five across the back, a tactic which kept PSG's top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic quiet. The big Swede's best chance was a difficult volley on the 32nd-minute mark. Motta, Blaise Matuidi and Alex, with a header, represented PSG's other chances in the first half while Ajaccio goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa twice pulled off fine saves in the second half to keep out Alex and Ibrahimovic. — Agencies
