Deportivo Alaves vs Barcelona

Estadio Mendizorrotza is the venue as high-flying Deportivo Alaves and reigning La Liga champions Barcelona lock horns.

Not long ago, Deportivo Alaves seemed destined for a season-long fight against the drop. However, an outstanding three-match winning league streak, bookended by a 3-0 thumping of basement boys Almeria last time out, steered them to mid-table, ten points clear of 18th-placed Cadiz. That run includes a hard-fought 1-0 triumph against none other than Cadiz in their most recent home league outing, which saw them halt a two-match losing top-flight run at Mendizorrotza. A piece of history is on the cards this weekend as ‘El Glorioso’ bid to make it four La Liga wins on the spin for the first time ever. To achieve that milestone, Luis Garcia Plaza’s side must get into the win column against Barcelona for the first time since 2016.

All hands were on deck as Barcelona eked out a 1-0 home win against 10-man Osasuna in midweek La Liga action, delivering a perfect response to a disheartening 5-3 defeat to Villarreal last weekend. Keen to sign off in style after announcing he’d leave Camp Nou at the end of the season, manager Xavi Hernandez will be out to extend Barca’s comprehensive 12-game unbeaten H2H league run against Alaves (W10, D2) and maintain his faint hopes of defending the La Liga title in the midst of a lackluster defending campaign. He can draw confidence from his team’s sterling away record, with the ‘Blaugrana’ coming into this matchday as one of only two La Liga sides yet to taste defeat on the road this season (W5, D5).