The simultaneous result of Granada picking up a point against 5th place Mallorca would have been good enough by itself for the club to earn direct promotion alongside Osasuna.
After the penultimate match day on 4 June, Albacete had guaranteed a 3rd or 4th place finish and that they would host the second leg of the semifinal round.
The final club to confirm their participation was Deportivo La Coruña, who defeated relegated Córdoba on 8 June.
Coming off their relegation from the top flight, Málaga were leading the league in the months of September and October, having won 8 of their first 11 games.
The Manchego club finished with the league's second best offense, and were led by goalscorers Jérémie Bela and Roman Zozulya, each with 11.
Dépor were also seeking an immediate return to La Liga, and the Galician club established themselves as early contenders with just one defeat in their first eighteen games.