Aubameyang helps Deportivo la Coruña mark La Liga return with a draw
Deportivo la Coruña, back in Spain's top division after eight years, opened the season with a 1-1 draw against Elche, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring the club's first goal in the top flight in eight years.
Opening match ends level
Deportivo la Coruña returned to La Liga after an eight-year absence and began the new campaign with a home draw against Elche, finishing 1-1.
Striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the team's leading figure, put the hosts ahead in the 21st minute — the club's first goal in Spain's top division in eight years. He finished off a long pass from Lorenzo Amatucci, controlling the ball smoothly before firing into the far corner.
The opening half was balanced, with both teams trading chances but struggling for precision in the final third. Elche frequently approached Deportivo's box without success, and also tested the away goalkeeper with a long-range effort that was well saved. Elche dominated possession (63% to 37%), while Deportivo struck the woodwork twice.
After halftime, Elche took the initiative and controlled much of the play. Deportivo's new goalkeeper, Leo Román, briefly kept the lead intact by making two big saves in a row. Still, the home side could not hold on: in the 76th minute, Marc Aguado won a header from a corner kick and beat the goalkeeper to the far post, making it 1-1.
In the final stretch, both sides played it safe, neither wanting to start the season with a loss, and the match closed out as a 1-1 draw.
Deportivo will next travel to face fellow promoted side Málaga in search of their first win of the season, while Elche face a tougher challenge in just under a week when they host defending champions Barcelona.
