Years in the Inferno
Málaga CF and Deportivo de A Coruña shared the same ordeal of eight years in the lower divisions. Both teams were relegated to Segunda División in 2018 after a dismal performance in the 2017-18 season, with Málaga CF earning only 20 points and Deportivo 29. After two seasons in Segunda, Deportivo dropped to Tercera in 2020, while Málaga CF remained in the second tier until 2023, when they also descended to the Primera RFEF.
Return to the Elite
Both teams shared the Primera RFEF in 2023-24 but did not face each other directly. Deportivo ascended as champions of Group I, while Málaga CF achieved promotion in the play-off after a decisive final in Tarragona (1-2 against Almería). Both returned to LaLiga EA Sports in 2024, with Deportivo qualifying second behind Racing de Santander and Málaga CF ascending after defeating Las Palmas and Almería in the play-off. Now, after two seasons in Segunda, they face each other in the second round of the championship at La Rosaleda next Monday at 21:30.
