Mendizorrotza will play host this Tuesday to a clash between two sides in completely opposite situations in the LaLiga table. Alavés, sitting in fourth place with solid numbers at both ends of the pitch, welcome a Valencia side going through a start to the season to forget, bottom of the table with just one point from a possible fifteen. The numbers point to a match of clear home dominance, though football always has surprises in store.
How Alavés arrive
The Vitoria-based side have collected 10 points from five matchdays, the product of three wins, one draw and one defeat, figures that place them fourth in the table, just two points off leaders Barcelona. Their goal record stands at eleven scored and five conceded, a goal difference of +6 that reflects a well-balanced team on both sides of the ball.
In terms of recent form, Alavés arrive off the back of a 1-2 defeat away to Racing de Santander, snapping a positive run of three straight wins that included big results such as a 5-2 thrashing of Osasuna and a 1-0 win over Villarreal, plus a 1-1 draw away to Rayo Vallecano and a 3-0 victory over Getafe on opening day.
How Valencia arrive
The outlook for the Che is worrying. With just one point from five matchdays — the product of four defeats and a draw — Valencia sit bottom of the table, nine points behind their upcoming opponents. Their attack has managed just one goal all season, while their defense has shipped ten, leaving a difference of -9, the worst mark in the entire division among the teams in this table.
Their recent run confirms just how tough things are right now: a 0-1 loss to Sevilla, a resounding 0-5 home defeat to Barcelona, a 1-3 loss away to Deportivo, another 0-1 defeat at home to Real Betis, and a goalless draw against Celta de Vigo. In five matches, Valencia have only managed to pick up points on one occasion.
The table and what's at stake
For Alavés, this fixture represents an opportunity to cement their place in what currently look like European qualification spots, just two points behind leaders Barcelona and level on points with Atlético de Madrid and Sevilla, both on 10 points. A win would keep them right in the mix at the top of a highly competitive league start between third and sixth place.
For Valencia, on the other hand, the match carries a real sense of urgency. The gap to the rest of the pack is already notable: even 8th place, held by Espanyol, has 7 points — six more than the Che. Another defeat would deepen a crisis that, if not reversed soon, could seriously jeopardize their aspirations for the season.
Our take
We believe the numbers support a favorable outlook for the Vitoria side, who average 2.2 goals scored per game against a rival that has managed just 0.2 goals on average through their first five matches. The goal difference of +6 versus -9 paints a clear picture of where each team currently stands.
That said, our read is also that Alavés will need to manage the emotional fallout from their defeat to Racing de Santander, which snapped a strong run of results. The statistical gap is wide, but football doesn't always follow the tables, and a Valencia side desperate to react could produce a different kind of match than the numbers suggest.
Kickoff time and how to follow it
The match between Alavés and Valencia, part of LaLiga, will be played on Tuesday, September 15 at the Mendizorrotza stadium. Kickoff times in various countries are as follows: Spain, 20:00; Mexico City, 12:00; Bogotá and Lima, 13:00; Buenos Aires, 15:00; New York and Miami, 14:00; and Los Angeles, 11:00.
Don't miss a single detail of this exciting LaLiga clash. At Golazo Scores we'll bring you the full preview, minute-by-minute coverage, and post-match analysis of this duel between an Alavés side dreaming big and a Valencia side in need of a reaction as soon as possible.
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