MADRID, May 27 (Xinhua) -– Madrid club Rayo Vallecano became the second side to gain automatic promotion to Spain's top division following a 1-0 win at home to Lugo on Sunday night.
Alex Moreno scored the decisive goal in the 40th minute of the game, which means Rayo will join fellow Madrid sides Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Getafe and Leganes in La Liga Santander next season.
Rayo's win sees them join Huesca in securing promotion to the top flight after the northern side went up last Monday, coincidentally also after a home win against Lugo.
Rayo’s promotion means that the two automatic promotion places to La Liga have been decided with one game still to play in the second division.
The final promotion place will be decided after a four-team playoff, which Sporting Gijon and Zaragoza have already secured their places in. The other spots will be filled by two from Cadiz, Osasuna, Valladolid, Numancia and Oviedo, with Cadiz and Valladolid (who play Osasuna in the last round of games) currently occupying the crucial fifth and sixth places in the table.
Rayo’s last appearance in La Liga was in the 2015-16 season when they were relegated after finishing 18th in the table, ending a five-year stint in the Spanish top flight. Last season they finished 12th in the second tier.
