Gonzalez Sisi scored to hand Valladolid a first win of the Primera Liga season and condemn Zaragoza to a second consecutive defeat.
Zaragoza are in the midst of a potentially crippling striker crisis but brushed aside their problems up front, which were deepened this week by an injury to Ikechukwu Uche, to draw level through Montana Jorge Lopez following a fourth-minute strike for Valladolid's Garcia Marquitos.
The sides went in level at the break but Sisi ensured the points went to Jose Luis Mendilibar's side with a 57th-minute strike.
Da Silva Diego Costa was the creator as the visitors came out the blocks quickest, getting to the right byline and cutting the ball back for Marquitos to bury a shot left-footed past Juan Carrizo in the home goal.
Lopez attempted to get Zaragoza back into it after eight minutes, finding the head of Javier Arizmendi with a dangerous criss.
Arizmendi, though, was unable to steer his effort on target and the ball flew wide of the post.
Zaragoza's English winger Jermaine Pennant was energetic but struggled to make things happen out wide, while Fabian Canobbio spurned a half-chance to make it 2-0 to Valladolid when his shot sailed over the crossbar from 12 yards.
The hosts moved level with 26 minutes gone, Lopez taking possession inside the penalty area and firing a left-footed strike beyond goalkeeper Sanz Jacobo.
Arizmendi made Jacobo work hard after 34 minutes but this time, he was up to the challenge.
The match began to open up as the first period drew to a close and Sisi almost restored Valladolid's advantage when he tried to catch Carrizo out from the edge of the penalty area.
Lopez was even more hopeful when he attempted to find the net from 35 yards out, minutes before the whistle.
Defender Roberto Ayala had one final chance before the interval came, but his header from a Lopez free-kick was off target.
Carrizo was the first of the goalkeepers to be pressed into action five minutes into the second half but his save from Costa's header was regulation.
Sisi's effort six minutes later was more decisive, though, and Carrizo was unable to stop his right-footed effort nestling in the bottom corner.
Valladolid introduced substitutes Vitor Pele and Romero Hector Font within four minutes of each other as they sought to remain in control of proceedings.
Zaragoza managed to win a handful of corners as they pressed, but none created the clearcut chance they needed.
Lopez was looking their most likely source of an equaliser but was twice denied in the space of 30 seconds by Jacobo.
He first saw the keeper hold on to an indecisive shot from 12 yards and then, moments later failed to beat him with a header from similar range.
Home substitute Franck Songo'o had one opportunity in injury-time to steal a point for Zaragoza but his effort was disappointing.
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