(Football news) RCD Espanyol have secured the third and final promotion place in Spain, returning to LALIGA EA SPORTS after beating Real Oviedo 2-0 at home in the playoffs final second leg. They overcame the Asturian side to return to the top flight just a year after being relegated to LALIGA HYPERMOTION. With Los Blanquiazules promoted, we now know which 20 teams will play in the top tier next season, as RCD Espanyol join CD Leganés and Real Valladolid in going up.
It was a typically dramatic LALIGA EA SPORTS season in Spanish football’s second tier, with several key moments leading to these three clubs achieving their respective promotions. They are three historic sides and two return to LALIGA EA SPORTS after just one year away. Let’s learn a little more about each of them that got promoted in LALIGA EA SPORTS.
CD Leganés: Champions through consistency
The team from the south of Madrid didn’t fall below the automatic promotion places after Matchday 11. Having led the division for almost the entire season, Borja Jiménez’s team were solid and especially strong in defence. Goalkeeper Diego Conde won the LALIGA HYPERMOTION Zamora Trophy, conceding only 26 goals in 39 games, an average of 0.67 goals per game.
There are some familiar LALIGA EA SPORTS faces in the squad, such as Allan Nyom, Francisco Portillo and Dani Raba, while CD Leganés also relied on an impressive pair of strikers, as Diego García and Miguel de la Fuente scored 12 and 13 goals respectively. The mix of experienced players and youngsters could allow CD Leganés to surprise some teams next term, when they return to the top after four seasons in LALIGA HYPERMOTION.
This is the second time that Los Blanquiazules have been promoted to the top flight and both times they achieved it by finishing inside the top two, without going through the playoffs. The previous occasion was in the 2015/16 season and Los Pepineros remained in LALIGA EA SPORTS for four seasons.
Real Valladolid: A yo-yo team with greater ambitions
Real Valladolid achieved what all relegated teams dream of, which is a bounce-back promotion to immediately return to LALIGA EA SPORTS. With Uruguayan coach Paulo Pezzolano in the dugout and with a well-established squad, Real Valladolid managed to finish in second place and achieve their objective. They finished the season well, given that they managed seven wins and three draws from their last 11 matches, losing only on Matchday 42 after they’d already mathematically clinched promotion.
Jordi Masip, in goal, was fundamental to this promotion, as he conceded just 22 goals in the 31 games he played. He and Sergio Escudero provided the necessary experience to support a team that had several impressive youngsters. Real Valladolid benefited from the centre-back pairing of Flavien Boyomo and David Torres, the freshness of Raúl Moro in attack and the leadership of Monchu. It means that in the past four seasons they have been relegated, promoted, relegated again and promoted again. They’ll now look to stay up to get rid of the yo-yo team label.
RCD Espanyol: Promoted and looking to build momentum
RCD Espanyol have done it again. Just one year after being relegated to LALIGA HYPERMOTION, Los Blanquiazules have made it back to LALIGA EA SPORTS, with players who boast top-flight experience and with a quality scorer in Martin Braithwaite, who netted 22 goals to win the Pichichi Trophy. Alongside him was Javi Puado, who was the hero of the promotion playoff final second leg against Real Oviedo, netting two decisive goals.
Los Pericos entered the playoffs undefeated since Matchday 26 and Manolo González, their third coach of the season after Luis García and Luis Miguel Ramis, managed to provide the team with the stability needed for promotion. He entrusted the goalkeeping to Joan García, one of the breakout stars of the season, while other young players like Omar El Hilali, Jofre Carreras or Nico Melamed also made big contributions. RCD Espanyol are one of the most historic sides in Spanish football and they’re returning to the top in style and with a squad that means they’ll hope to do more than just avoid relegation.
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