MADRID, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Deportivo la Coruna returns to La Liga after an eight-year absence thanks to a 2-0 win at Valladolid on Sunday, which assures the team coached by Antonio Hidalgo promotion to the top-fight with one game left to play.
Two first half goals from young striker Bil Nsongo were enough to give Deportivo a win that sees it join Racing Santander in assuring promotion ahead of next weekend's final game of the season, which is at home to Las Palmas.
Deportivo, who won La Liga in the 1999-2000 season and had a run of five years when it never finished lower than third place, dropped into the second division of the Spanish game in 2018 and slipped into the third tier in 2021.
The club from the north-west of Spain needed four years before returning to the second division under the guidance of Inigo Idiakez (now at Cadiz) in 2025.
Although Racing Santander and Deportivo have assured the two automatic promotion places, next weekend's last round of matches in the Spanish second division will see a tense battle for the play-offs with Almeria, Malaga, Las Palmas, Castellon, Burgos and Eibar all in with a chance of a place that will see them fight for promotion.
Oviedo, Mallorca and Girona were relegated from La Liga, with Mallorca and Girona's fates sealed in a dramatic last round of matches on Saturday night. ■
