A miserable campaign for Barcelona in 2019/2020 has followed them into the new season, and a Classico defeat against Real Madrid last week does not help matters. From boardroom disputes to the prominent unrest of players like Messi and Greizemann, can Barcelona continue their dominance against Alaves like they have done in the past?
Deportivo Alaves
The Basque outfit faces an arduous task in Barcelona this weekend but should take refuge in knowing if they are going to get a result against Barcelona in history, this weakened version would be the squad to do it against.
Alaves put on a great showing this past weekend, taking all three points on the road against Valladolid but we should note; after an entertaining start to the season, their cracks are starting to shine through. Nine of their previous ten La Liga fixtures have produced fewer than three goals, while Barcelona has produced similar numbers away from home the Catalan giants have won 90% of theirs.
Alaves have not come close during their historic matchups against Barca, the last time these two met they were defeated 5-0.
Barcelona
Barcelona remains as the headline favourite but not because of their impressive performances, the drama inside the Nou-Camp continues, and results are being affected.
With that said, if Barca wants to restore a little confidence on the pitch, then Deportivo Alaves could be the ideal outfit to assist their happiness. The history between these two is an ugly one, as Barca have won many clashes with a considerable amount of goals scored. Most recently delivering a 5-0, 4-1, 2-0, 3-0 beating to the opposition.
The heartbreaking loss to their rivals Madrid will be lingering, and a mid-week clash versus Juventus could hinder their mindset dependant on the result. I don’t expect Barcelona to slip into complete turmoil, with a one-game advantage and plenty of seasons remaining.
Barcelona has won two, drawn one and lost two during their La Liga campaign thus far, and should be able to make the third win against Alaves. Barcelona has won the previous eight clashes between the two teams while netting twenty-seven goals in the process. Five of these games ended goalless for Alaves, while never scoring more than one goal in the others.
Deportivo Alaves vs. Barcelona Prediction
Sure, there have been some difficult and dark days for Barcelona of recent, but can we expect them to force failures against the calibre of Alaves?
Probably not, even with a clash against Juventus and just four days are separating each fixture I expect Barcelona to allow room for rotational player’s who can get the job done.
Barcelona is now a -200 [1.50] to win the game, and this price is more than fair, especially given the terrible record Alaves hold against Barca.
I expect Barcelona to get themselves back in the win column, but not without Alaves proving a point. Defensive issues are blatant at the Nou-Camp, which can lead us to some great value in the ‘both teams to score’ market. Barcelona could be the ideal accumulator addition this week, but if you are looking value, taking them straight up is not the method to approach.
Barcelona to win and both teams to score is currently priced at [3.00] +200 2/1, both teams to score has landed in fourteen of Alaves previous nineteen home fixtures. In contrast, Barcelona has either failed to score or keep a clean sheet in their last four away games. I’d be surprised that Alaves can’t at least put a goal past the somewhat rocky Barcelona squad.
Key Statistics
- Alaves has scored 0.9 goals per game and conceded 1.1 per game during their previous 10 fixtures.
- Barcelona has scored 2.5 goals per game and conceded 0.7 per game during their previous 10 fixtures.
- Barcelona has won 745 of their previous 10 games and maintained a clean sheet just 50% of the time.
- Alaves has lost 7 of their previous 9 home games at this level.
Final Match Prediction: Deportivo Alaves 1 Barcelona 3
Best Bet: Deportivo Alaves vs Barcelona – Barca win & both teams to score @ 3.00 2/1 with Betfair
