At the Campos de Sport de El Sardinero, the first leg of the LaLiga 2 promotion playoff semi-final gets underway between two sides who finished the regular season in fifth and fourth place respectively: Racing Santander and Mirandés. The winner of this two-legged tie – the return match is scheduled for June 12 – will face either Real Oviedo or Almería for a place in LaLiga. Racing Santander, playing at home in this opening fixture, returned to winning ways on the final day of the season after a difficult month of May in which they failed to win, picking up only two points from four games. This slump cost José Alberto López’s side a shot at direct promotion, settling instead for the playoff route. Now the goal is to put those struggles behind them and build on their convincing victory over Granada to chase a top-flight return after more than a decade. Facing them is a Mirandés side in excellent form, ending the season with 16 points from their final six matches. Under Alessio Lisci, they leapfrogged Racing to finish fourth and even came close to second place. The Castilian club is aiming for its first-ever promotion to LaLiga, arriving at this semi-final full of belief – further boosted by their two head-to-head wins over Racing this season. Despite these contrasting runs of form, the matchup looks finely poised. Expect a tightly contested battle where, more than the brilliance of key men like Andrés Martín (16 goals, 17 assists) and Joaquin Panichelli (20 goals, second top scorer), the result may be decided by the smallest details. With a potential playoff final spot on the line, this first leg promises to be a tense, high-stakes encounter with no margin for error.

Racing Santander Recent Form and Key Stats

Racing ended the regular season with a crucial 2-1 comeback victory over Granada, who finished seventh. After conceding early to Rebbach, goals from Arana and Sangalli turned the game around, securing a final boost for the Verdiblancos.

In their last five outings, Racing have registered 1 win, 2 draws, and 2 losses, averaging 1.2 goals scored and 1.6 conceded per game.

They finished fifth in LaLiga 2 with 71 points (20 wins, 11 draws, 11 defeats), boasting the third-best attack in the league: 65 goals in 42 games (1.55 goals per match). However, their defense was more fragile, averaging 1.21 goals conceded per match.

Home form has been a strong point: Racing are unbeaten in seven matches at El Sardinero (5 wins, 2 draws), although they kept a clean sheet in just two of those. Overall, they earned 39 points at home with 11 wins, 6 draws, and 5 defeats.

Mirandés Recent Form and Key Stats

Mirandés capped off a strong regular season with a 3-1 away win over relegated Cartagena, with goals from Izeta, Roca, and Calvo. The Castilians extended their unbeaten streak to six matches (5 wins, 1 draw), scoring 1.8 goals and conceding just 0.8 on average in the last five.

Under Alessio Lisci, Mirandés nearly clinched direct promotion, finishing fourth with 75 points, only two behind Elche. Their biggest strength has been defensive solidity: only 40 goals conceded in 42 games, less than one per match.

On the road, they’re showing great momentum with three straight away wins against Eibar, Córdoba, and Cartagena. However, over the full season, their away form was inconsistent: 7 wins, 4 draws, and 10 defeats.

Racing Santander vs Mirandés Prediction and Tactical Overview

This LaLiga 2 playoff semi-final promises to be a high-intensity clash. The teams have met twice this season, both times won by Mirandés: 0-1 away last November and 2-1 at home in the reverse fixture. Both matches were tight and decided by just a single goal.

Across the last five head-to-heads, including this season, Mirandés have the edge with 2 wins, 2 draws, and 1 defeat. Notably, four of those five matches ended with under 2.5 goals, highlighting the evenly matched nature of this fixture.

The first leg in Santander is expected to be cagey and tactical. Racing will aim to make the most of their home advantage – they're unbeaten in their last seven home games – while staying cautious. Mirandés, on the other hand, will look to strike on the counter, having scored 6 goals in their last 3 away trips.

To hold off the visitors, José Alberto López will rely on Racing’s defensive strength at home, where they’ve conceded just 0.95 goals per game on average.

For Alessio Lisci, the key weapon is Joaquin Panichelli, the league’s second top scorer with 20 goals. But his side must also find a way to limit Andrés Martín, whose numbers (16 goals, 17 assists) make him one of the most influential players in LaLiga 2 this season.

All signs point to a tight and tactical first leg, where both teams will likely prioritize control over risk.

• Racing Santander vs Mirandés prediction from the BetMines algorithm predicts a match with Over 2.5 goals at 42%.
  
  
• Racing Santander vs Mirandés prediction from the BetMines Algorithm predicts a match with Under 2.5 goals at 58%.

Predicted Lineups Racing Santander vs Mirandés

RACING SANTANDER (4-2-3-1): Ezkieta; Michelin, Mantilla, Castro, Mario García; Meseguer, Aldasoro; Sangalli, Andrés Martín, Íñigo Vicente; Karrikaburu. Coach: José Alberto López

MIRANDÉS (5-3-2): Raúl Fernández; Rincón, Gutiérrez, Egiluz, Tomeo, Parada; Reina, Gorrotxategi, Lachuer; Panichelli, Izeta. Coach: Alessio Lisci