Barcelona look to get back to winning ways against Deportivo Alaves
By Neel Shelat
Barcelona looking to avoid three straight losses
Barcelona got off to a record-breaking start this season, winning each of their first 11 matches across all competitions. That run included nine in La Liga, matching Real Madrid’s league record from the 1968/69 campaign. They were subsequently brought down to earth by losses to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and their biggest rivals domestically.
It has been over a decade since the Blaugrana lost three straight matches, with the last such run coming in 2016 when they succumbed to Real Sociedad and Valencia either side of a Champions League quarter-final elimination at the hands of Atlético Madrid.
Alavés slowing down after an impressive start to the season
Alavés also came out of the blocks very well by their standards, amassing 10 points from their first four league games with wins over Getafe, Villarreal and Osasuna. They have subsequently slowed down significantly, though, picking up just two more points with four losses in their last six. Even so, they are sitting pretty in the table as they occupy seventh place.
Having escaped relegation by just a couple of points in each of the last two seasons, competing for a European spot may be too lofty an ambition for Alavés. At the very least, they should look to avoid being sucked back into the battle at the bottom at the end of the term.
Team news
Xavi Espart’s ankle issue last weekend compounded Barcelona’s back line injury crisis. Eric García, Andreas Christensen and Jules Koundé are also out, leaving Hansi Flick with just four senior defenders. Among attackers, Dani Olmo and Roony Bardghji will be unavailable.
Alavés will be without Facundo Garcés and Mikel Rodríguez, who are expected to miss not just this match but the remainder of the season.
Key players
Pau Cubarsí will have a big job to do in marshalling Barcelona’s threadbare back line, which has conceded eight goals across the last three games. Even if they give up one or two, though, they will be confident that Raphinha and Lamine Yamal can add to their league goal involvement tallies of 16 and 14 respectively.
Alavés do have some attacking firepower to trouble the opposition defenders. Striker Lucas Boyé has five goals this season, while former Real Madrid forward Mariano Díaz has three in addition to four assists. Their most important player on this night will likely be Antonio Sivera, though, as his goal will probably be peppered at some point.
Prediction
Barcelona have made a habit of blowing away domestic defences so far this season as they are averaging four goals per game in the league, so they should have far too much for Alavés to handle.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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