Villarreal Target Crucial Win Over Struggling Alaves to Strengthen Top-Four Push

Villarreal aim to secure a second straight victory in La Liga as they face Alaves. The Yellow Submarine sit fourth in the table level on points with Atletico Madrid, while Alaves are 16th and only two points clear of the relegation zone.

Team Analysis:
Alaves head into the match after back-to-back defeats and have gone five La Liga games without a win, leaving them 16th and just two points above the relegation zone despite a fairly solid home record. Villarreal, meanwhile, arrive in fourth place after beating Elche 2–1 and could move up to third with a positive result, although they have struggled to win away at Alaves in recent years.

Player Situation:
Alaves will miss Ander Guevara and Jon Pacheco through suspension, while Carlos Protesoni is also expected to be absent, although Victor Parada and Pablo Ibanez return after serving their bans. Villarreal still have several injury concerns, but Tajon Buchanan is likely to keep his place after an impressive display against Elche, with Nicolas Pepe expected to lead the attack.

Result Prediction:
Quique Sanchez Flores suffered his first defeat as Alaves head coach in the previous match and now faces another difficult challenge. Villarreal, firmly competing for a top-four finish, are expected to have the quality needed to secure all three points.

Predicted Result: Deportivo Alaves 1-2 Villarreal.