La Liga | Gameweek 13

Nov 9, 2024 at 3.15pm UK

Estadio de la Ceramica

Villarreal vs Alaves

Match preview

Villarreal have won six, drawn three and lost two of their 11 league games this term, picking up 21 points to sit fourth in the standings, just three points behind second-placed Real Madrid.

Barcelona and Real Madrid are the only teams to have beaten Villarreal this term and they will be keen to challenge Atletico Madrid for third place this term, but Marcelino's side, who finished a disappointing eighth last term, will need to tighten up their defence if they are to do so.

The Yellow Submarine have conceded 19 times in their 11 games so far this term, but have scored 20, with only Real Madrid (21) and Barcelona (40) having a better attacking record at this stage.

Marcelino's side ended last month with back-to-back wins over Real Valladolid and Poblense in the league and Copa del Rey respectively, and have lost just one of their last six games in all competitions.

Villarreal were due to face Rayo Vallecano in the league last weekend, but the game was postponed due to the flooding in Spain, leaving El Submarino Amarillo a game behind most of the rest of the division.

Alaves finished an impressive 10th in La Liga on their return to the top flight last season, and they look set for another campaign at this level after a solid start to the campaign.

The Basque side have won four, drawn one and lost seven of their 12 league games to collect 13 points, leaving them in 14th place, just three points behind ninth-placed Rayo Vallecano.

Luis Garcia's side go into the game on the back of back-to-back victories, having beaten Compostela 1-0 in the first round of the Copa del Rey on 29 October and then beaten Mallorca 1-0 in La Liga.

Alaves have lost five of their six league games away from home this season, but will travel to a Villarreal side who have performed better on the road than at home during the 2024-25 campaign.

Both league meetings between the two sides last season ended 1-1, and Alaves have only lost one of their last five top-flight matches against Villarreal, recording two wins.

Recent Performance

Villarreal La Liga form:

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Villarreal form (all competitions):

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Alaves La Liga form:

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Alaves form (all competitions):

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Team News

Villarreal will be without the services of Gerard Moreno and Juan Foyth through injury, while Denis Suarez and Alfonso Pedraza remain major doubts for the home side this weekend.

Ayoze Perez scored a hat-trick against Poblense in the Copa del Rey last time out, taking his tally to 10 goals in nine appearances this season, and the 31-year-old is likely to feature on Saturday afternoon.

Perez has not featured in La Liga since the end of September due to a muscular problem, but he is now well recovered and is likely to be joined in the final third by Thierno Barry.

Alaves are without Hugo Novoa and Carlos Benavidez, the latter having been sent off in the 1-0 win over Mallorca last time out.

Ander Guevara for Benavidez could be the only change to the team's starting line-up, with Kike Garcia expected to start in the middle for the Basque side.

Carlos Vicente is a safe pair of hands on the right, but the attacking role on the left is up for grabs, and Stoichkov could come into the XI for the clash with Villarreal.

Possible starting lineups

Villarreal possible starting lineup:

Conde; Femenia, Albiol, Costa, S Cardona; Akhomach, Comesana, Parejo, Baena; Barry, Perez

Alaves possible starting lineup:

Sivera; Tenaglia, Abqar, Pica, Sanchez; Blanco, Guevara; Vicente, Guridi, Stoichkov; Kike Garcia