Deportivo Alaves vs Eibar
Estadio de Mendizorroza, Vitoria Gastiez
Friday, 07-02-2020 @11pm
Ref: Eduardo Prieto
Eight of Alaves’ 11 home matches in La Liga this season have produced fewer than 2.5 goals, with Babazorros keeping clean sheets in five of those games. Seven of Eibar’s 11 league games on the road have also produced fewer than 2.5 goals, including their last three away. Los Armeros have failed to score on six occasions on their travels, including their last three outings. Four of Alaves’ 11 home games this season have ended all square, with the same applying to five of Eibar’s 11 away matches. Both sides have drawn three of their last six in La Liga.
Alaves’ 1-1 draw at Sevilla last weekend means they have now won just one of their last eight La Liga matches, however the result and performance from Asier Garitano’s charges at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan was a marked improvement from what we’ve seen from them in recent weeks.
Babazorros had to hang tough on a few occasions and were understandably second best in terms of possession and chances created in Andalusia, but they looked on course to pinch all three points 20 minutes from time after Joselu followed up a set-piece to stab home his ninth league goal of the campaign.
Sevilla were afforded a way back into the contest, however, seven minutes later after Ruben Duarte’s handball inside the penalty area and Lucas Ocampos made no mistake from the spot. It was a fair result all told and a point well deserved by Alaves, however it wasn’t enough to prevent them dropping a further place down to 15th following Valladolid’s win at Mallorca.
Eibar also picked up a 1-1 draw on Matchday 22, although Los Armeros were arguably fortunate to earn their point after being outplayed by Real Betis at Ipurua.
A Fabio Orellana penalty on 15 minutes cancelled out Nabil Fekir’s early strike for Los Verdiblancos, but Jose Luis Mendilibar’s men were holding on for much of the contest after that, and were a tad lucky to escape a Betis winner in the second half which was ruled out for marginal offside by VAR.
Nonetheless, Eibar’s results in recent weeks make for impressive reading compared to their pre-Christmas form, and they head to Mendizorroza this weekend having lost just one of their last six La Liga games.
Eibar’s improvement can be attributed to far sturdier defensive displays with four clean sheets kept in six and just two goals conceded across those games, but their ability to score goals is under the spotlight, particularly on the road, where they have failed to net in their last three matches.
The other La Liga games this weekend
Saturday, 08-02-2020
-Levante vs Leganes @3pm
-Getafe vs Valencia @6pm
-Valladolid vs Villarreal @8:30pm
-Atletico Madrid vs Granada @11pm
Sunday, 09-02-2020
-Espanyol vs Mallorca @2pm
-Sociedad vs Bilbao @4pm
-Osasuna vs Real Madrid @6pm
-Celta Vigo vs Sevilla @8:30pm
-Real Betis vs Barcelona @11pm
