Deportivo 1-1 Elche: Aguado's late header denies Depor winning La Liga return (full highlights)

Deportivo La Coruña's return to La Liga after a two-year absence ended in a bittersweet 1-1 draw against Elche at the Abanca-Riazor stadium, as the Galicians were denied a winning start by a late equalizer that left the home crowd in stunned silence. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, making his debut for Depor following his move from Marseille, opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a clinical header from Lorenzo Amatucci's cross from the left flank, sending the ball into the far corner and sparking wild celebrations among the 28,278 spectators packed into the stadium. However, Elche responded in the 76th minute when Marc Aguado, from Gonzalo Villar del Fraile's delivery, headed home to level the scores and silence the Riazor faithful, turning what would have been a perfect return into a frustrating draw. The match was a tense affair with referee Francisco José Hernández Maeso showing yellow cards to Ximo (26'), Lorenzo Amatucci (45+1'), Gonzalo Villar del Fraile (67'), and Umaru Konare for robust challenges in midfield that interrupted the flow of the game. Deportivo registered 12 shots to Elche's 8, enjoyed 55% possession, and created 4 clear chances compared to the visitors' 2, but they couldn't hold onto their lead, dropping two points in their first game back in the top flight due to a defensive lapse in the 76th minute. After the final whistle, the Deportivo manager admitted that his team played well but made a defensive mistake that proved costly, and he acknowledged that there is plenty of work ahead to secure their place in La Liga, with a particular focus on maintaining concentration in the final stages of matches. The full match highlights and all goals are available to watch, serving as a reminder that returning to the elite division demands maximum concentration and defensive solidity, and the late equalizer showed that Deportivo still have areas to improve if they are to survive in Spain's top tier and avoid the fate of their previous relegations.

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