UD Almería’s hopes of direct promotion to La Liga will now be decided in the final three matchdays of the LaLiga Hypermotion season. Following the weekend results, Real Racing Club is increasingly close to securing a top-flight spot, while the second automatic promotion berth remains wide open. Depor and Almería are locked on 71 points, but the Galician side holds the advantage thanks to a better head-to-head record.
Juan Diego Molina, widely known as Stoichkov, scored a crucial 0-1 winner for Deportivo de la Coruña against Cádiz CF, putting them back in control of their fate after Almería could only manage a 0-0 draw against Burgos CF. This outcome is particularly unfavorable for the Andalusian club, as they previously drew 1-1 at Riazor and lost 1-2 at home to the same opponents after Yeremay Hernández turned the game around.
Despite now needing to rely on results elsewhere, Almería still have strong chances of returning to La Liga. Over these final three rounds, the team that drops the fewest points will likely claim the prize, with neither side expected to take all nine available points. Both Almería and Depor could potentially reach 80 points. Since the playoff format was introduced, only three teams—Real Valladolid (2011/12), Girona CF (2014/15), and SD Eibar (2021/22)—have reached that tally and failed to finish in the top two. Of those, only Valladolid managed to earn promotion through the playoffs.
Almería will face UD Las Palmas and Real Valladolid at home, with a trip to Real Sporting still to come. Depor, meanwhile, will host FC Andorra and UD Las Palmas, and visit Real Valladolid. Las Palmas, along with Málaga, Castellón, Burgos, and Eibar, are also in the playoff race. The battle for promotion is far from over, and every point will be crucial in deciding who makes the leap to the top division.
