Race for Primera promotion: Real Valladolid lead Leganes and chasing pack

Spain's second division, known as LALIGA HYPERMOTION, is famously competitive. It's no different this year, with so many teams still in with a serious chance of securing promotion up to LALIGA EA SPORTS, the top flight.

Real Valladolid and CD Legans currently occupy the two automatic promotion spots, but the fact that the teams who finish third to sixth enter the playoffs means that every club in the top half of the table can still dream of promotion. For example, 11th-placed Levante UD are only five points behind sixth-placed Real Racing Club de Santander.

Here, then, comes a look at the situation of every team inside the top half of the LALIGA HYPERMOTION table, outlining just how realistic their promotion aims are.

Real Valladolid (1st, 68 points)

As one of the teams who just got relegated last summer, Real Valladolid were always going to be one of the favourites for promotion. And, they're close to achieving this objective, thanks to a late season surge. With six wins and two draws from their past eight matches, they're rising up the table at the right time and have now moved into first place.

Remaining fixtures: AD Alcorcn (A), Villarreal B (H), CD Tenerife (A)

CD Legans (2nd, 67 points)

From Matchday 12 to Matchday 38, CD Legans were leaders of LALIGA HYPERMOTION, however they have lost their position at the top at an inopportune moment. It was a run of five draws in a row from the end of March through to the end of April that saw their lead cut. But, if they can hold on and finish inside the top two, there will still be celebrations at the Estadio Butarque at the end of the season.

Remaining fixtures: Real Sporting de Gijn (H), Racing de Ferrol (A), Elche CF (H)

SD Eibar (3rd, 65 points)

After coming ever so close to promotion in each of the past two seasons, SD Eibar endured a terrible start to this campaign under new coach Joseba Etxeberria. However, the Basque tactician got the team going in the right direction and they have spent a lot of the second half of the season inside the promotion places. Los Armeros have a tough fixture list to close out the season, though, so they'll have to be at their best.

Remaining fixtures: FC Cartagena (H), Real Sporting de Gijn (A), Real Oviedo (H)

RCD Espanyol (4th, 62 points)

This is just the sixth season that RCD Espanyol are spending outside of Spain's top division in club history, so they expect to make an immediate return to LALIGA EA SPORTS. They are giving their best effort to achieve this objective, especially Martin Braithwaite, who is the division's top scorer on 20 goals.

Remaining fixtures: Real Oviedo (H), SD Amorebieta (A), FC Cartagena (H)

Real Oviedo (5th, 61 points)

Real Oviedo are one of two teams currently level on 61 points, and they'd enter the playoffs as it stands. With automatic promotion a little too out of reach, staying in the top six and playing the lottery of the playoffs is the main goal for the Asturian institution over the remaining weeks.

Remaining fixtures: RCD Espanyol (A), FC Andorra (H), SD Eibar (A)

Real Racing Club de Santander (6th, 61 points)

The final playoff spot is currently held by Real Racing Club de Santander, but that could change in an instant, given that it's so tight at this part of the standings. The good news for them is that their final three fixtures are all against bottom-half teams. As the second-top scorers in the entire division, the northern club certainly have the firepower to make it to the playoffs and to give any opponent a scare.

Remaining fixtures: SD Huesca (A), Real Zaragoza (H), Villarreal B (A)

Real Sporting de Gijn (7th, 59 points)

As one of Spain's most historic clubs, Real Sporting de Gijn fans feel that they've been away from LALIGA EA SPORTS for too long, having last played at that level in 2017. This season, they've put together a consistent campaign and have been inside the top 10 since Matchday 4. What matters, though, is making sure they reach the top six by the end of Matchday 42.

Remaining fixtures: CD Legans (A), SD Eibar (H), CD Eldense (A)

Elche CF (8th, 58 points)

After their frustrating season in LALIGA EA SPORTS last year, Elche CF also struggled in LALIGA HYPERMOTION at the beginning of this term. Yet, they've turned things around in the second half of the campaign and are very much in the mix for a playoff ticket.

Remaining fixtures: CD Mirands (A), CD Eldense (H), CD Legans (A)

Burgos CF (9th, 57 points)

Burgos CF haven't been in Spain's first division since 1980, but they're currently just four points away from the playoff positions, so their fans can dream of a miraculous return, especially given that Los Blanquinegros have some very winnable fixtures remaining on their schedule.

Remaining fixtures: FC Andorra (A), CD Tenerife (H), AD Alcorcn (A)

Racing de Ferrol (10th, 57 points)

Racing de Ferrol only just achieved promotion into LALIGA HYPERMOTION last summer, but they've kept up momentum and are inside the top half of the table at this late stage of the season, only four points away from the playoff positions. It would certainly be a shock if they can make it back-to-back promotions, but that has been done in the past, most recently with RCD Mallorca in 2019. With that in mind, everyone at the Galician club can keep dreaming.

Remaining fixtures: Real Zaragoza (A), CD Legans (H), FC Andorra (A)

Levante UD (11th, 56 points)

After the heartbreak of their stoppage time playoff final loss to Deportivo Alavs last June, Levante UD hope to achieve promotion back to LALIGA EA SPORTS this season. But, their recent form hasn't been particularly encouraging, with just three wins from their past 10 matches. That leaves them on the outside looking in at this stage.

Remaining fixtures: CD Eldense (A), AD Alcorcn (H), SD Huesca (A)