Barcelona keen on bouncing back in Alaves clash after maiden defeat.

2024-10-01

As the Babazorros seek to halt a looming third consecutive defeat, they face the formidable challenge of league leaders FC Barcelona at Mendizorrotza, setting the stage for a compelling clash on Sunday afternoon.

Deportivo Alavés

After picking up seven points from their opening four matches (2W, 1D, 0L), Alaves have now secured just three from the last four games (1W, 0D, 3L), recording two straight league defeats (WLWLL) for the first time this season. The Babazorros lost 2-0 to Getafe in Luis García Plaza's 100th game as their manager, leaving them in 11th place on the La Liga table with 10 points (3W, 1D, 4L) after eight matches.

However, the situation could worsen for the Álava-based side as their next match is against league leaders Barcelona. The hosts have secured only one win in 21 La Liga matches against Barça in the 21st century (1W, 4D, 15L), losing more games only to Real Madrid (31) than to Barcelona (24) in LL history.

A concerning trend for the Babazorros is their waning defensive solidity. After conceding only three goals in their first four La Liga matches, they have allowed nine goals in their last four games. Plaza is expected to line up a 4—2—3—1 formation with Toni Martínez in attack for Sunday's clash.

FC Barcelona

Barcelona got their first set of points on board in the UEFA Champions League with a comfortable 5-0 win over Swiss club Young Boys on Tuesday. Hansi Flick remarked that his team "must start matches stronger," despite winning by a huge margin.

The victory helped the Blaugrana recover from their first league defeat of the season against Osasuna last Saturday, a 4-2 setback for Flick's side. However, the visitors remain at the top of the La Liga table, three points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, having collected 21 points from eight matches with seven wins and one loss.

Getting back on track will be the aim for Barcelona when they travel to Alaves on Sunday, a venue where they have won six of their last seven visits. Generally, Barça have enjoyed their recent away trips to teams in the Basque region, losing just one of their last 28 La Liga games there, while scoring in the last 15.

Flick will hope his team keeps up their fine scoring form, having netted 25 goals in eight matches already this season. This represents the most prolific start by any team in the big five European leagues and is also Barcelona's best scoring start to a La Liga campaign since 2016-17, and their fourth-best in the 21st century.

A 4—2—3—1 formation with Robert Lewandowski leading the attack is expected on Sunday.