Espanyol wins promotion playoffs to return to top tier of Spanish soccer

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Espanyol returned to the top tier in Spain by beating Oviedo 2-0 at home on Sunday in the promotion playoffs.

Striker Javi Puado scored twice late in the first half to give Espanyol a 2-1 aggregate win after Oviedo won the first leg 1-0.

Espanyol was relegated from the top tier a year ago. The club based in the city of Barcelona has never played two consecutive seasons in the second tier of Spanish soccer.

Leganes, owned by former Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow, and Valladolid had already secured automatic promotion by finishing in the top two.

Cadiz, Almeria and Granada were the clubs relegated to the second division.

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