Alavés – Villarreal: the Yellow Submarine wants to break the curse 
This Friday night Mendizorroza throws open its gates for a crunch La Liga clash. Villarreal arrive in the Basque Country keen to notch a second straight win and lock down a top‑four spot, while Alavés (16th) are fighting for their season with the relegation zone breathing down their necks.
Alavés have the knife at their throat 
Nothing’s going right for the Babazorros. The Basques are on a nasty losing run, the latest a frustrating 3-2 collapse at Valencia last weekend. New boss Quique Sánchez Flores got a taste of the repair job on his debut. They haven’t tasted a league win since late January and have managed only two points from their last five. Two points separate them from the drop — that’s a scream.
They’ve been leaky away from home this season, but at least they tidy things up at Mendizorroza (19 points from 13 home games). And history gives them a sliver of hope: Alavés beat Villarreal 1-0 here last season and still hold a slight edge in their head-to-heads (16 wins to Villarreal’s 14).
Villarreal barreling toward the Champions League 
The visitors are in upbeat mood. A 2-1 win at Elche last time out leaves Marcelino’s men sitting pretty in 4th with 54 points, level with Atlético Madrid in third. Better still, they’ve got an 11-point cushion on Betis in fifth. Champions League qualification is practically within reach.
They’re comfortable on the road this season too (20 points from 13 away trips), and a win on Friday would briefly lift them into third, just six points shy of Real Madrid. The one real wobble for Marcelino? A nasty Basque hoodoo — Villarreal haven’t won at Alavés since January 2020. They’ll have to put that behind them.
Probable lineups
Alavés : Sivera ; Tenaglia, Yusi, Parada, Otto ; Perez, Guridi, Blanco, Suarez ; Boye, Martinez
Villarreal : Luiz Junior ; Mourino, Veiga, Marin, S Cardona ; Buchanan, Comesana, Gueye, Moleiro ; Pepe, Mikautadze
Football Tip Alaves vs Villarreal
Villarreal to win
The shake-up brought by Quique Sánchez Flores didn’t spark a turnaround last week, and Alavés’ form is still a major concern.
Villarreal, by contrast, are a well-oiled outfit who’ve handled the top‑four run with calm. Mendizorroza has been awkward for them in the past, sure, but right now the gap in quality and confidence is simply too big. Marcelino’s side have the tools to boss this match and walk away with the three points.
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