Alaves – Real Madrid
A clash of contrasts takes place at the Estadio de Mendizorroza on Sunday: Deportivo Alavés, who are threatened by relegation, host second-placed Real Madrid. While Alavés is just above the relegation zone, Real are chasing leaders Barcelona, four points behind. However, Alavés have a 1-0 win over Girona under their belt, whereas the Whites have recently suffered a bitter 3-0 defeat against Arsenal in the Champions League and have not won in three games. Furthermore, Eduardo Camavinga is missing after his sending off, so coach Carlo Ancelotti will once again have to test his team’s abilities in order to avoid losing further ground in the title race.
Alaves – Real Madrid Info
- Venue: Estadio de Mendizorroza, Vitoria-Gasteiz
- Date and time: 13.04.2025, 4:15 pm
- Competition: La Liga (Matchday 31)
Alaves form & record check
Deportivo Alavés are in a period of cautious recovery. The away win in Girona six days ago was a real breakthrough, with a goal from Carlos Vicente in the 61st minute securing three important points. Defensively, they have looked more stable, with eight points from their last five outings a creditable haul for a side who were so low in the table not so long ago. It is also worth noting that the last few games before the break have been tight affairs, with all five of them going into half-time with under 1.5 goals on the scoreboard. Overall, the encounters have also seen few goals, with four of the last five ending with fewer than 2.5 goals.
After the home defeat against Rayo Vallecano (0-2), the mood was still tense, but the success in Girona brought new self-confidence. Against Real Madrid, Alavés now faces a much bigger task, which is why coach Eduardo Coudet will likely once again rely on a compact defense.
Coach Eduardo Coudet is likely to stick with his trusted 4-2-3-1 system again. Sivera is expected to be between the posts, with Mouriño, Abqar, Diarra and Sánchez forming the back four. Blanco and Guevara will be the central defensive midfielders.
In front of them, a more offensive line of three could play with Jordán, Guridi and Vicente, supporting the striker García. Guridi, in particular, has proven himself as the control center between defense and offense. On the bench, alternatives like Conechny or the experienced Aleñá are waiting, but Coudet is often unpredictable and could make changes shortly before the game begins.
Real Madrid Form & Record Check
Real Madrid are currently going through a difficult phase. Three consecutive games without a win have put the team under pressure, especially the 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League left its mark. In that game, the offense looked surprisingly ineffective, while Eduardo Camavinga was sent off in injury time.
There has also been a setback in La Liga recently: the 2-1 defeat to Valencia increased the gap to leaders Barcelona to four points. The only positive results were a 3-2 win over Leganés at the end of March and advancing to the cup against Real Sociedad after extra time. Particularly striking is a shaky defense that has conceded goals in each of the last five games – often already in the first half.
Nevertheless, Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham’s team have enormous quality in offense and score in almost every game. Without the injured Toni Kroos and a slowly aging Luka Modrić, however, the midfield lacks control. Spanish media see the return of Dani Ceballos as a potential key to giving the game more structure. Real Madrid now need to get all three points against Alavés, especially since they are only three points ahead of Atlético Madrid.
Carlo Ancelotti is likely to stick with his 4-3-3 system again. In defense, important regulars such as Militão and Carvajal (both with cruciate ligament ruptures) and Mendy with a muscle injury are still missing. Vallejo, Alaba, Rüdiger and García could therefore line up in front of goalkeeper Courtois.
In midfield, Bellingham, Valverde and Modrić are likely to pull the strings, provided the latter recovers in time. Ancelotti still has to wait for Dani Ceballos, but hopes he will return soon. In attack, Mbappé is expected to play in a central role, with Vinícius and Rodrygo on the wings. However, adjustments remain possible right up until kick-off.
Alaves – Real Madrid Head to head & statistics
The head to head speaks for itself: Real Madrid have won the last five meetings against Alavés. The Madrilenians tend to pick up the pace in the second half, which was evident in the 2-3 result in September 2024 – when Alavés held out for a long time. Real’s 5-0 win in May 2024 at the Bernabéu was even more emphatic, while the away game in December 2023 went narrowly to the capital city side with a 1-0 scoreline.
In four of those five matches, more than 2.5 goals were scored and Real netted a total of 16 times. Alavés only managed four goals in the same encounters – they regularly lacked penetration, especially in the first 45 minutes.
