Alaves vs Valencia Predictions & Match Preview

Alaves vs Valencia predictions and match preview for Sunday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for expert analysis, the head-to-head, team news and predicted lineups as Los Che return to the Basque Country.

Alaves vs Valencia Preview

Sunday’s action in LaLiga kicks off in Vitoria. For Valencia it’s their second game in the Basque Country in the space of four days following on from their Copa del Rey Semi-Final 1st Leg in Bilbao. It’s a bigger game for struggling Alaves though who desperately need a positive result to boost their survival prospects.

You won’t find many more likeable characters in Spanish football than José Luis Mendilibar but the former Eibar boss has struggled to make an immediate impact at Alaves and is currently on course to be relegated from LaLiga for the second year running. Alaves haven’t won any of their 5 league games since he took charge and they’ve only managed to score 2 goals during that period.

Up until last weekend, they could at least point to a really tough run of fixtures but a 3-1 loss at fellow strugglers Elche really set the alarm bells ringing. They even took the lead in that game through Joselu but a catastrophic Second Half raises big questions about the direction they are heading under Mendilibar and whether he really was the right fit for this squad of players.

Alaves did make four January signings including Jason and Manu Vallejo (who is ineligible here) from Valencia. Those departures and one or two others, helped Valencia make two significant loan signings with youngsters Bryan Gil and Ilaix Moriba arriving towards the end of the window. Both started the 1-1 draw in Bilbao on Wednesday in the Copa del Rey and have provided a timely boost as Los Che bid to close in on another cup final.

There is no doubt about who the man of the moment is from a Valencia point of view though. Hugo Duro was a figure of ridicule amongst Valencia supporters three years ago when he inadvertently blocked a shot from his then Getafe teammate Jorge Molina which set up Valencia’s match-winning counter-attack in the dying moments of their Copa del Rey Quarter-Final. Fast-forward to 2022 and Duro is not only a Valencia player but an increasingly important player for this team and the 22 year old was on target at San Mames on Thursday night and has also impressed in recent league games.

Head to Head

• Last 6 Competitive Meetings: 3 Valencia Wins, 3 Draws.
• Valencia were 3-0 winners at Mestalla earlier this term when the sides met.
• The last 6 meetings in Vitoria have all seen both teams score.
• Valencia have only won on 1 of their last 5 league visits to Mendizorrotza.

Team News

Alaves’ Manu Vallejo can’t play against his parent club. Mamadou Loum and Ximo Navarro are injury doubts.

Valencia are missing Gabriel Paulista again while Jose Gaya, Jasper Cillessen and Hugo Guillamón are doubts.

Possible Lineups

Alaves vs Valencia Predictions

Score Prediction: Alaves 1-0 Valencia

There are a lot of games this weekend which are tough to call and this is another one. Both sides are winless in 2022 in LaLiga. Valencia are the stronger team but you wonder if that intense cup game on Thursday night will have taken quite a bit out of them. Playing early on Sunday isn’t ideal for a side still dealing with a few significant absentees and this might just offer Mendilibar the chance to claim his first win as Alaves boss.

PLEASE NOTE – Our LaLiga predictions are not betting tips. No profits are guaranteed if you’re using them to bet on football. If you are gambling, do so responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose. BeGambleAware.