The pattern of West Second Division is beginning to emerge: Deportivo and Santander, two veteran teams, are leading the way, and the suspense of reaching the First Division has increased sharply.

After eight rounds, two traditional giants occupy the upgrade zone. Who will return to La Liga?

Known as "one of the craziest and most competitive leagues in Europe," the Spanish Second Division has begun its promotion campaign this season. Now after eight rounds, the standings are beginning to appear. Some are happy and some are sad. The biggest highlight is undoubtedly the strong recovery of the two veteran teams and the dark horse counterattack of the "promoted team", which has sharply increased the suspense of winning the league this season.

Two established teams occupy the upgrade zone, rekindling the La Liga dream

Currently, the top two spots in the standings are occupied by two traditional teams in Spanish football, Deportivo La Coruña and Racing Santander. The two teams have 16 points together and are full of firepower. This is not only a lead in the rankings, but also the strong desire of fans in both cities to return to the top league. Deportivo has played in La Liga for 46 seasons, but since its relegation in the 2017/18 season, it has bid farewell to the top stage. Racing Santander's wait is even longer. The last time they appeared in La Liga was in the 2011/12 season.

This season, the performance of the two teams is amazing, and the data is the best proof:

Deportivo leads the league with a terrifying goal difference of +11, and is currently the only team to remain undefeated in the season. Even with the two recent draws, the team's morale is still high and there is a "return of the king" momentum.

　 Racing Santander's goal difference also reached +7, followed closely behind.

The recent strong performances of these two teams have not only boosted the team's morale, but also ignited the fans' dream of returning to La Liga.

Racing Santander’s twin stars shine, and Villarreal hopes to perform another promotion miracle.

Racing Santander’s outstanding performance is inseparable from the outbreak of its strike twin stars. Winger Andres Martin (6 goals, 2 assists) and forward Asier Villalibre (5 goals, 1 assist) are in hot form, and together they occupy the top spot in the league's scorer list.

It is worth mentioning that Villalivere, who was on loan from Alaves, scored a key winning goal in the promotion playoffs of the 2022/23 season and helped Alaves successfully upgrade. Nowadays, Racing Santander fans are also looking forward to this "upgrade star" to lead them back to La Liga.

With the help of Pique, Andorra transformed into a "dark horse" and entered the first division.

In the current promotion play-off area, the new force of Andorra Football Club is particularly eye-catching. This team will only enter the Spanish Professional Football League system for the first time in 2022. It was first relegated to the third division last season and then promoted to the Spanish Second Division again.

Now Andorra continues its good momentum and ranks fourth in the league standings. After new coach and former Athletic Bilbao player Ibai Gomez took over, he also led the team to a good start with 4 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses.

Andorra’s goal is clear: to hit La Liga! If successful, the home stadium in the Principality of Andorra will face challenges from top clubs such as Barcelona and Real Madrid. This will be a historic moment for the club.

Zaragoza is stuck in the quagmire of relegation.

Some people are happy and some are worried. The situation of Zaragoza, another veteran team, is lamentable.

Zaragoza is the representative of the fourth largest city in Spain and ranks 11th in La Liga in total historical points. But since relegation in the 2012/13 season, fans have suffered. This season, their situation has become even worse. Due to the renovation of their home stadium, La Romareda Stadium, the team has not won a single victory at its temporary home court. Currently, it has only gained 1 victory and accumulated 6 points, ranking second from last.

For Zaragoza fans, being absent from La Liga for a long time is already painful. If they are unfortunately relegated to the third tier this season, it will undoubtedly be an even heavier blow.

The battle in the midstream is heating up: a victory can overturn the ranking

The intensity of competition in the second division is vividly reflected in the midstream group. Currently, third-placed Cadiz has 15 points, while ninth-placed Almeria has 12 points. The difference between third place and ninth place is only 3 points of one victory! This shows the high degree of uncertainty in the Spanish Second Division, and the rankings may change drastically at any time due to the result of a game. For any team aiming to reach the top of the league, there is no room for relaxation.

This season’s Spanish League Two will undoubtedly be an “upgrade battle” full of suspense and topics. Can the established powerhouse successfully "come ashore"? How far can dark horse Andorra go? Can Zaragoza escape the relegation abyss? Let's wait and see.