Las Palmas vs Alaves

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With a desire to close their campaigns on a high note, Las Palmas and Alaves square off at Estadio Gran Canaria on Sunday in the last gameweek of the La Liga season.

Although Granada was unlucky to stay in the top division following their promotion, the other two teams are certain to play in the top division the next season before this weekend's match.

With six points separating them from Cadiz in 18th place going into the last day, Las Palmas, who have flirted with relegation the whole season, are relieved of some of the burden before their match against Alaves in gameweek 38.

Despite the team's difficulties in their challenging return to the top division, Garcia Pimienta has managed to maintain his position as the leader of the first team. The team's struggles have been highlighted by a prolonged period without victories.

Their last win in La Liga came in February, when they secured a 2-0 victory at home against Valencia. Since then, they have suffered nine defeats in 13 league matches and managed to draw four times.

Their scoring struggles have been evident, with nine out of the 13 winless games seeing the team fail to score any goals. This includes a goalless draw in their recent match against relegated Cadiz.

Las Palmas has only managed to score 32 goals in the 2023-24 season, with only two teams, Rayo Vallecano (29) and Cadiz (25), scoring fewer goals. Additionally, only Granada (24) and Almeria (23), both of which have been relegated, have lost more matches than Pimienta's team (18). This summarizes the challenges faced by the home side in their first season back in the top division.

Even though he hasn't scored since Osasuna's tie on February 25, Kirian Rodriguez (six) has outscored his colleagues in Pimienta's team's low-scoring campaign.

After receiving bookings in Alaves' 1-0 victory over Getafe last week, Carlos Benavidez, Nahuel Tenaglia, and Antonio Blanco are all sidelined for the final day of play.

With a knee injury, center back Aleksandar Sedlar hasn't played since November and is still sidelined for the team in tenth place. Rafa Marin is expected to make a comeback at center defense despite missing the away team's triumph in game week 37 due to a stomach ailment.

Despite not striking the net since February, Samu Omorodion could start up top for Plaza's team in place of Kike Garcia, who was forced out due to an injury last time out.

Las Palmas managed to avoid relegation in their first season back in La Liga, but Alaves, comfortably positioned in mid-table, are aiming to secure their spot in the upper half of the league as they approach Sunday's game.

Under Luis Garcia Plaza's leadership, Alaves, promoted through the playoffs, have surpassed expectations, surpassing both Granada and Las Palmas in the league standings.

The goal for "El Glorioso" is to finish in the top 10, a feat they haven't accomplished since Mauricio Pellegrino guided them to ninth place in the 2016-17 season. This aspiration comes after consecutive finishes of 14th, 11th, and 16th, followed by a relegation in the subsequent campaign.

Attaining this goal hinges on their match against the 15th-placed hosts. Regardless of the outcomes of Osasuna and Getafe against Villarreal and Mallorca, respectively, Alaves could still secure a top-10 finish with a victory.

Alaves holds a favorable head-to-head record against Valencia, currently in ninth place, having won both encounters this season. Thus, a win against their upcoming opponent coupled with a Valencia loss to in-form Celta Vigo could see Alaves matching their 2016-17 performance.

Despite the outcome of Sunday's game, this season can be deemed a triumph for the newly promoted team.

Speculation is rife that Garcia Pimienta, the current manager of Las Palmas, might leave for Sevilla, a club with a storied past but recent struggles. However, Las Palmas remains optimistic about persuading him to stay for another season, given his success in guiding them out of the second division last season and maintaining a respectable position in the top half of the table with an attractive style of play.

While Las Palmas' playing style is aesthetically pleasing, it hasn't been as effective as desired, leading to a decline in performance over the past few months and a drop to the bottom half of the table due to a lack of goals. Nonetheless, they've found some relief in recent matches, securing consecutive draws against Real Betis and Cadiz, the latter resulting in Cadiz's relegation.

Deportivo Alaves, newly promoted last season, probably didn't expect to find themselves comfortably outside the relegation zone and even in the top half of the table by the final day of the campaign. Despite rumors of Luis Garcia Plaza's mid-season dismissal, the Basque team has performed admirably.