The fight for promotion in the Smartbank League is being one of the main attractions of Spanish football in the final stretch of this season. Never before since the new system of play-off Four teams had reached the last day with mathematical options of going up to First division and also to be champions.
The four cities involved that this Saturday will be in suspense and will play everything for everything at 9:00 p.m. are Granada, Las Palmas, Vitoria (Deportivo Alavés) y Valencia (Levant). All of them can touch the glory in matchday 42 and get any of the first two places that accredit you as a team of the Santander League.
As we said, never before since the new promotion system came into effect in the 2010/2011 season, with two guaranteed places in First division and four teams fighting for another one from third to sixth, a situation similar to that of this year had occurred. The promotion is only in three points, so a heart attack day is coming to close the regular season in the second category of our football.
This is the fight for promotion in the absence of matchday 42.
How does each team arrive?
Let’s go in parts. In the first place, you have to observe how things are a few hours after the ball starts rolling in the four stadiums involved. He Granada is the current leader of Second with 72 points, one more than the palms and two more than him Deportivo Alaves. those of paco lopez They arrive after winning the Mirandés in Anduva in a meeting in which everything indicated that they were going to sign their promotion to the highest category. However, a goal from Levante on the edge against him Villarreal B deprived the Andalusians of going up prematurely and reaching the last day only with the championship at stake.
Therefore, the New Los Cármenes will decide, and thousands of Granada fans will turn to their team, in what could be the immediate return to the top flight. He Granada faces the Leganes, already saved and with nothing at stake, and would become a team of First division with the victory, and even with the tie. If he loses, he would have to be very aware of what happens outside the Peninsula, in the match of the day and the Liga.
There is no smooth ascent in Gran Canaria
After a year in which the palms He was left with honey on his lips falling in the semifinals of the play-off against his greatest rival, the Tenerife, the islanders knew how to recover and have curdled a season that borders on outstanding. However, even though he is currently second, he will play the entire season on the last day at his stadium, against Deportivo Alaves.
The fans of the Canarian team will experience another agonizing match for promotion against the third-placed team, who wants to return to First just the year after his descent. the palms y Alaves, separated by a point, they can end up occupying any position from first to fifth, an unprecedented situation. But what could the scenarios be?
With the win, either team would be promoted and could also be champion, depending on what happens next. Granada. The tie would only be worth the palms, what would happen to depend on the Levante I did not win. Defeat obviously leaves out First to either one. The only impossible scenario is for the Canaries and Vitoria to rise, so an exciting round trip clash is coming in which neither has anything to lose.
Win or win
What is clear is that the Levante you have to win or win to move up. To the Valencian team led by Javier Calleja, which also fell last year, only victory is worth it. In front you will have Oviedo, seventh classified but without any option of play-off. To beat the Asturians, a defeat for the Granada it would turn him directly into a team of First, no need to look sideways Gran Canaria.
However, if logic prevails and the Andalusians certify promotion, they would have to wait for a draw between the palms y Alaves. But not only that, once inside that scenario the Levante I would have to endorse him six goals in the City of Valencia al Oviedo. Thus, Levante fans and the Canaries would both finish the course with 72 points, but the goal difference would provide promotion to the former in question.
The importance of third place
With all this, the four teams will also have to look askance at what happens in Huesca. He Eibar They have not won since matchday 32 and that is why the only thing that is played in The Alcoraz is to decide what position he will occupy in the play-off, which marks you one confrontation or another. The gunsmiths are fifth with 68 points and only aspire to be third, since even winning they have no mathematical possibility of direct promotion. Even so, they play the ‘field factor’, that is, play the second leg of the semifinals in Ipurua and go to the round or be promoted, in the final, without the need to go to extra time in the event of a tie.
Who does know what his position will be at the end of this day is the Albacete. The manchegos have curdled an immaculate season on their return to professional football and will play their match against Mirandés with the sole purpose of winning, to give joy to his fans again and wait until around 11:00 p.m. to find out who his rival will be in the semifinals of the play-off.
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