Barcelona will look to recover from their first La Liga loss of the season when they visit Alaves at Mendizorrotza Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Barcelona were defeated 4-2 by Osasuna last weekend, but they still sit atop the league table with 21 points from eight matches, while Alaves are currently in 11th place.
Deportivo Alaves vs Barcelona: Preview
After finishing 10th in their return to the top flight last season, Alaves have had a solid start to this campaign, earning 10 points from eight matches. Luis Garcia’s side has recorded three wins, one draw, and four losses, and they have already scored 11 goals spread among various players. Despite a decent start, recent form concerns Alaves as they have lost three of their last four games, including defeats to Real Madrid and Getafe.
Match Details
Match: Barcelona @ Deportivo Alaves
Stadium: Estadio de Mendizorroza
Date & Time: Oct 6, 2024 at 3.15 pm UK
Deportivo Alaves vs Barcelona: Team News & Head-to-Head
Deportivo Alaves
Alaves may miss Hugo Novoa, but the rest of their squad is fit, and coach Garcia may stick with the lineup from the Getafe match. Toni Martinez is expected to lead the attack, with Carlos Vicente, who has scored twice in seven appearances, playing wide.
Barcelona
Barcelona suffered a shock loss to Osasuna, conceding four goals in a disappointing performance. However, they quickly responded with a dominant 5-0 win over Young Boys in the Champions League. Despite injuries, Barcelona has had an impressive start to the 2024-25 season, and new coach Hansi Flick has already made a strong impact. Barcelona won their first seven La Liga matches and led the league with 25 goals, with Robert Lewandowski scoring nine in 10 appearances.
Barcelona will be without several key players due to injury, including Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Andreas Christensen, and Gavi. However, Inigo Martinez is fit, and Eric Garcia returns from suspension. Inaki Pena is likely to start in goal, with Wojciech Szczesny possibly available after training with the squad.
Head-to-Head
Historically, Deportivo Alaves have struggled against Barcelona, losing their last three league meetings, and their last victory over the Catalan giants came in September 2016. Alaves will have the advantage of being the fresher team, as Barcelona had European commitments this week, but they face a tough challenge nonetheless.
Although Barcelona will not take Alaves lightly, they have a strong record against their opponents, winning 24 of their previous 36 La Liga meetings and remaining unbeaten in away games since December 2001.
Possible Starting XI
Alaves : Sivera; Tenaglia, Abqar, Sedlar, Diarra; Jordan, Benavidez; Vicente, Stoichkov, Martin; T. Martinez.
Barcelona: Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, I. Martinez, Balde; Casado, E. Garcia, Pedri; Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha.
Deportivo Alaves vs Barcelona: Prediction
Barcelona is expected to dominate in every aspect of this match. If they wish to, this match will be considered one of the easiest ones for Barca to win. Deportivo Alaves can still hold back solidly in their defense and look to break the Barca defense through counter-attacks.
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