Barcelona vs Alaves

On Sunday afternoon Barcelona hosts Alaves at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys to fight for all three points in their La Liga pursuit of leaders Real Madrid.

The current position of La Liga shows Barcelona scoring third place and Real Madrid ahead with seven points while Alaves takes 17th position one point above the relegation area at this vital stage.

The La Liga saw Barcelona perform spectacularly last week by winning 7-1 over Valencia although this success marked their second victory since November began.

The Catalan team secured wins only twice during their last nine league matches and endured four defeats as they ceded crucial points that allowed Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid to rise above them inilitation of the top spot.

Barcelona faces a crucial game ahead as they will start their tournament after Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid complete their matches which could result in a 10-point deficit for top position and a six-point lag for second place.

Barcelona heads into the game following their 2-2 draw against Atalanta in the Champions League final league match as they finished in second place on the league table.

Barcelona faces a crucial task to navigate a series of victorious league matches because losing their upcoming match would seem improbable yet their new stadium has already experienced three losses during this season. Alaves dominated Barcelona at their stadium during the 2016-17 season.

During the 2021–22 La Liga season, Alaves held Barcelona to a 1–1 draw, however they are currently on a four-game losing streak against the Catalan team, including a 3-0 loss earlier this season.

El Glorioso had a fantastic season last season, finishing 10th in Spain's top flight. However, the Basque team has had a harder time getting results in 2024–25, as they are currently in the bottom half of the division.

Indeed, Eduardo Coudet's team has a 21-game record of five victories, six draws, and ten losses. With 21 points, they are in 17th place, just one point ahead of Espanyol, who are in 18th place after the same amount of games.

Alaves, however, have only dropped one of their previous seven league games and have gained four points from their last two games, defeating Real Betis 3-1 in Seville and holding Celta Vigo the other day.

In addition to being the more recent of the two teams, the Basque team has won all three of their recent away league games. On Wednesday night, they will play Barcelona in an exciting Champions League match.

The Barcelona center-back, Inigo Martinez, has been sidelined since the beginning of January due to a muscular problem, but he is currently nearing the end of his recuperation and has a remote chance of playing in this match.

However, Dani Olmo is once again anticipated to be out; his comeback is most likely to occur next week against Valencia in the Copa del Rey.

Regarding Alaves, Abdel Abqar is suspended because of his yellow card against Celta the previous game, Antonio Blanco is back after serving a suspension, and Antonio Sivera is still receiving treatment for a hand injury.

The 22-year-old Mourino might replace Abqar in the middle of the defense, making him the player to gain the most.