Espanyol were promoted to Spain's LaLiga for the 2024/25 season on Sunday with a 2-0 second leg home win against Real Oviedo in the promotion play-off final.
Javi Puado scored a first-half brace on the stroke of halftime at the Stage Front Stadium to earn his boyhood club a 2-1 aggregate win and a return to top-flight football next term.
The result meant Espanyol, who finished the campaign in fourth spot in the table, immediately bounced back up to LaLiga one season after being relegated.
ššøš¾šā šššš¼āšš š@RCDEspanyol_EN secured #LALIGAEASPORTS promotion in style! š#LALIGAHighlights pic.twitter.com/leXcDR5zYG
ā LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) June 23, 2024
It is the second time the Barcelona club has pulled off the feat after also being relegated in 2020 ā prior to that their last relegation was in 1994.
Puado managed to escape his man at the back post as a corner floated in and poked a right-footed finish past Leo Roman in the Oviedo goal to level the tie on aggregate in the 44th minute.
The 26-year-old attacker then struck again three minutes later to completely turn the play-off on its head before the interval, when he rolled home Pere Milla's touchdown inside the box following a ball over the top.
Oviedo had won the first leg of the play-off 1-0 at their home stadium last Sunday, courtesy of Alemao's 73rd-minute strike.
But after the turnaround in Catalonia, their wait for a first return to LaLiga since 2000/01 will continue.