A Spanish Bourbon army loyal to Philip V of Spain and commanded by the Marquis de Bay was defeated by a Grand Alliance force under Guido Starhemberg.

Forced to retreat, they suffered successive defeats at Brihuega in November and Villaviciosa in December, which effectively ended their chances of installing Archduke Charles on the Spanish throne.

[3] Guido Starhemberg, commander of the Allied forces in Catalonia, halted this attempt by preventing the Spanish from fording the Segre river, a success in which the officers of the British contingent had a leading role.

[3] Philip was forced to withdraw to Zaragoza, capital of Aragon, while Villadarias was replaced by the French general Alexandre Maître, Marquis de Bay.

[5] On 9 August the Spanish army reached Zaragoza and de Bay positioned his troops with the river Ebro on his left and the Torrero heights to the right.