The Spotify Camp Nou sets the stage for a Spanish La Liga matchday 11 clash featuring hosts Barcelona and Deportivo Alaves on Saturday. Alaves were the surprise winners the last time these sides met in league action.
Barcelona have dominated the domestic scene this season with nine wins out of 10 matches thus far, sitting top of the La Liga standings with 27 points, two ahead of Atletico Madrid in second place.
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Barca’s fine form has been built on their incredible attacking firepower and ability to control possession, with 40 goals scored in 10 matches for a stunning average of four goals per game.
With only 11 goals conceded thus far, Barcelona’s goal difference is a mind-boggling +29 at this early stage of the season.
Despite their utter dominance in the Spanish top flight, the Blaugrana stumbled to defeat in their most recent match against bitter rivals Real Madrid last Sunday.
Los Blancos won the El Clasico encounter 2-1 thanks to two goals from French star Kylian Mbappe, canceling out Raphinha’s second-half equalizer.
The loss was Barcelona’s second in a row across all competitions after going unbeaten until last week, with European champions PSG beating the Blaugrana 4-2 in the UEFA Champions League in Paris.
Coach Hansi Flick is not likely to be too concerned with the two defeats, as they both came against world-class opposition, and he will expect Barca to bounce back this weekend.
Meanwhile, Deportivo Alaves are seventh in the Spanish top flight table, with 12 points from 10 matches.
El Glorioso started the season well with three wins in their first five La Liga matches, but their form has since dipped, with three losses and two draws in their five most recent league encounters.
Last Friday, Alaves drew 1-1 at home against Malaga in a game that the hosts were expected to win, but following an opening strike from Malaga’s Adrián Niño, Aitor Mañas’ 89th-minute equalizer for Alaves was celebrated like a winner at the Estadio de Mendizorroza.
Traveling to face Barcelona will not be the ideal scenario for Quique Sánchez Flores’ team, as they are the overwhelming underdogs, but his team will have nothing to lose and can play with freedom against the reigning Spanish league champions.
Barcelona vs Deportivo Alaves head-to-head stats and key numbers
- Barcelona have been the dominant side in this fixture historically, with 36 wins from their 51 matches.
- Alaves have beaten Barca on eight occasions, while the sides have shared the spoils seven times.
- Last season in La Liga, Barcelona won 3-1 at home before losing 1-0 in Alaves’ home match, but it is important to note that the La Liga title was already won by that 36th matchday, and the match was effectively a dead rubber for the champions.
- Deportivo Alaves have only beaten Barcelona twice in their last 28 matches.
Barcelona vs Deportivo Alaves prediction
Barcelona are expected to dominate possession and dictate the tempo, using their wide combinations to cause the visitors trouble throughout the match, leading to a few goals.
Alaves are likely to adopt a low block in an effort to absorb pressure at the Camp Nou, but they will be under heavy pressure from the likes of Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, and they will have few opportunities to counterattack if, as expected, they have very little possession.
Barcelona have been dominant throughout the season, scoring freely and beating most sides by multiple goals, and we expect that to be the case in this match.
Prediction: Barcelona 3-0 Deportivo Alaves
Barcelona vs Deportivo Alaves betting tips
Tip 1: Barcelona to win
Tip 2: Barcelona to keep a clean sheet
Tip 3: Over 2.5 goals
Edited by Peter Pedroncelli
