Santi Cazorla gets his fairytale as Real Oviedo end 24-year wait for La Liga return | OneFootball

Real Oviedo have ended their long wait for a return to La Liga after securing a 3-2 aggregate victory over Mirandes in the Segunda promotion play-off final, following a 3-1 victory in the second leg at the Estadio Nuevo Carlos Tartiere.

Santi Cazorla saves Real Oviedo after early Mirandes goal

Mirandes led 1-0 from the first leg in midweek, and 16 minutes into the second leg, they doubled their aggregate advantage. An excellent cross from Iker Benito was headed back across goal and into the far corner by Joaquin Panichelli, who notched his 21st Segunda goal of the season in the process.

But just minutes before half time, Oviedo equalised on the right – and it came from hometown hero Santi Cazorla. The 40-year-old converted from the penalty spot to drag his side back into the tie, and it turned out to be a goal that kickstarted the momentum for them.

Ilyas Chaira in action for Real Oviedo in the second leg of their Segunda Division promotion play-off final against CD Mirandes (Image via Diario AS)

Oviedo secure promotion with two unanswered goals

Only seven minutes into the second half, Oviedo scored their second of the evening as Girona loanee Ilyas Chaira fired home from inside the penalty area. That goal saw the Asturians take the lead on the night, and crucially, they were level on aggregate – and had it stayed that way at the end of extra time, they would be promoted due to having finished higher in the Segunda table.

The tie did go to extra time, and in the end, Oviedo did not need to hang on to that rule. In the 103rd minute, they made it 3-1 on the night courtesy of a sensational volleyed effort from 35-year-old winger Francisco Portillo.

There was late red cards handed out to Oviedo’s David Costas and Mirandes’ Unai Eguiluz, but they did not affect the final result. And at the full time whistle, there were joyous scenes inside the Nuevo Carlos Tartiere, understandably so.