The opponents are still unbeaten this season. Alavés vs Villarreal match prediction
Alavés and Villarreal will meet on Friday, 28 August, in the third round of La Liga. The match will be played at the Mendizorroza Stadium in Vitoria, with kick-off at 21:30 CET. I am backing goals in this game.
H2H and statistical facts
- Alavés have kept a clean sheet in three of their previous five La Liga matches.
- Villarreal have failed to keep a clean sheet in 16 consecutive matches.
- Half of the six most recent meetings between these teams have ended in a 1-1 draw.
- Villarreal have not beaten Alavés away from home since 2020.
A successful start for the Basques
Alavés enjoyed a fairly convincing pre-season. The team began their preparations with a 1-1 draw against Eibar, followed by wins over Girona — 1-0 and Castellón — 3-0. Their final friendly was against Racing in Santander: the 90 minutes ended 1-1, before the Basques prevailed on penalties. As a result, Alavés finished the summer unbeaten.
During the summer, the club sought to keep the core of the squad intact and avoid a major overhaul. The team is managed by Kike Sánchez Flores, who was given a full pre-season cycle to implement his ideas. The club's primary aim is to comfortably secure their top-flight status and then, if things develop favourably, challenge for higher positions.
In the transfer market, Alavés have acted in a targeted manner. Among their main signings are Miguel Rodríguez from Utrecht, Mikel Rodríguez from Real Sociedad B, Ville Koski and Nicolás Valentini from Fiorentina. At the same time, the club parted ways with Víctor Parada, Jon Guridi and Asier Villalibre, meaning the task of building sufficient squad depth has not yet been fully completed.
Alavés made a very positive start to their La Liga campaign. On the opening matchday, the team thrashed Getafe 3-0, with all three goals coming after half-time. Nahuel Tenaglia, Mariano Díaz and Mikel Rodríguez were on target, while Getafe were reduced to 10 men before the break. On matchday two, Alavés drew 1-1 away to Rayo Vallecano: the hosts opened the scoring after half-time, but Mariano levelled the game late on.
The Yellow Submarine searching for consistency
Villarreal entered the season after a more eventful international pre-season. The team began the summer with a 2-0 defeat by Benfica, before beating PSV 3-1. At the Como Cup, the Spaniards drew 1-1 with Como, beat Al-Ula 3-0 and then lost 3-1 to Lens. They subsequently recorded wins over Levante — 1-0 and Galatasaray — 2-1. Overall, the results during pre-season were inconsistent, but they gave new head coach Iñigo Pérez the opportunity to test different combinations.
The change of manager is one of the main factors shaping Villarreal's season. Iñigo Pérez took charge of the team for the first time during a full summer cycle and, after the training camps, noted that the squad was gradually moving in the right direction. However, the coach still needs to find the right balance between attacking potential and defensive solidity — the team themselves acknowledged problems in their defensive phases after the opening matches of the season.
Villarreal have collected two points from their first two La Liga matches, with both games ending 2-2. On the opening matchday, the team squandered their advantage against Racing in Santander: the hosts went 2-0 up, but goals from Pape Gueye and Nicolas Pépé before half-time allowed the Yellow Submarine back into the game.
On matchday two, Villarreal drew 2-2 with Atlético Madrid. In Madrid, the team took the lead twice, including through a Georges Mikautadze penalty, but failed to hold on for the win after an Atlético defender was sent off. Four goals scored is certainly a positive, but conceding four raises questions over the reliability of their defence.
Probable line-ups
- Alavés: Sivera, Pérez, Tenaglia, Koski, Otto, Ibáñez, Blanco, Rebbach, Rodríguez, Boyé, Martínez.
- Villarreal: Junior, Romero, Veiga, Foyth, Mourinho, Comesaña, Gueye, Moleiro, Pépé, Pérez, Mikautadze.
What to bet on?
Based on their current form, Alavés look like the slightly more cohesive team. The Basques came through pre-season confidently, have already secured a league victory and conceded just one goal in their opening two matches. Villarreal, by contrast, have shown greater attacking potential but are currently allowing opponents to create chances too easily in front of their own goal. That is why it is worth considering a bet on over 2.5 goals.
