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Barcleona will be looking to cement their position at the top with an away win to Deportivo Alavés on Sunday who will also be aiming to end the week on a high.
Alaves
Alaves was bitterly disappointed with their performance against Getafe, where they dropped three points in a 2-0 defeat at Coliseum Stadium. Their performance lacked the tenacity of a team that almost snatched a point off of Real Madrid four days ago. Despite those consecutive losses, they occupy a modest 11th place in the standings and are just four points adrift of the final European football spot.
Luis García is well aware of the daunting task ahead of them, as his team now has to prove its worth against another Spanish giant. This time around, they face Barcelona, a team they have no fond memories of besides desperately trying to end an eight-year winless drought in which they have lost 12 of their last 14 encounters (D2).
Barcleona
In contrast, Barcelona sit three points clear at the top, and it's safe to say they have had a strong start to the season. The Blaugrana giants had the opportunity to extend their lead at the top with a further three points over the weekend, but surprisingly enough, they failed to do so as they were behind a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Osasuna. The last time they lost by this scoreline was last season against Girona.
Head coach Hansi Flick knew that a response was imperative, and what he received during the week was nothing short of an icing on the cake as his side thrashed Switzerland opposition Young Boys 5-0 in the UEFA Champions League league phase, which was their first ever competitive win in club history against this side.
Probable Line-ups
- Alaves: Sivera; Tenaglia, Diarra, Mouriño, Sánchez, Vicente, Jordan, Benavidez, Martin, Stoichkov, Martinez
- Barcleona: Szczęsny; Kounde, Martínez, Cubarsi, Balde, Pedri, Raphinha, de Jong, Yamal, Lewandowski, Torres
Match Facts
- Alaves have not won a home match against Barcelona since 2001.
- Barcelona have scored in both halves in 63% of their La Liga games this season.
- Alaves averages 1.33 goals per game when playing at home, and Barcelona averages 3 goals per game when playing away.
Head-To-Head
In the last 31 meetings, Alaves has won 4 times, Barcelona has won 23 times, and there have been 4 draws, with the goal difference being 79-25 in favor of Barcelona.
Prediction
Alaves has struggled historically in this fixture, and nothing much can be expected from them other than a convincing defeat. Barcelona, on the other hand, are favorites with bookmakers and should be able to pick up all three points. Therefore, support Blaugrana in the full-time market combined with a total of over 1.5 goals.
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