Villarreal will be eyeing their first win of the new campaign when they hit the road to square up against Deportivo Alaves.
Both Deportivo Alaves and Villarreal have made an unbeaten start to the season, and they will hope to keep that record intact as they gear up for their third league fixture at Estadio de Mendizorroza on Friday night.
The home team are currently third on the points table with four points in their opening two league outings. They started their campaign with a dominant 3-0 win over Getafe, but could only manage a 1-1 draw against Celta Vigo last time out.
While Alaves had the upper hand in their last outing, they were not clinical enough in the final third. They will consider themselves unlucky to have dropped points and will hope for a better performance from their forwards this time around.
Meanwhile, Villarreal are ninth on the table with two points in as many outings. They started their campaign with a disappointing 2-2 draw against newly promoted Racing Santander. But the Yellow Submarine showed a lot of character to secure a 2-2 draw against Atletico Madrid last time out.
While one might consider them lucky, as they got two penalties and Robin Le Normand getting sent off certainly helped, Villarreal will take a lot of confidence from that game. They will hope to build on it and secure all three points here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Deportivo Alaves
The home team will be without the services of Facundo Garces, who remains suspended. Apart from him, everyone else should be available for selection.
Alaves will line up in a 5-3-2 formation, where Antonio Sivera will take charge in goal. Angel Perez and Abde Rebbach will feature as the wing-backs, while Jonny Otto will feature alongside Ville Koski and Nahuel Tenaglia in the heart of the defence.
Antonio Blanco will take up the holding role in front of the backline, while Mikel Rodriguez and Pablo Ibanez will feature as the two central midfielders in front of them. The trio will look to shield the backline and control the tempo.
In the final third, Lucas Boye will pair up with Toni Martinez in the striker partnership. The duo will look to make the most out of any chance that comes their way.
Probable Lineup (5-3-2): Sivera; Otto, Koski, Tenaglia; Perez, Blanco, Rodriguez, Ibanez, Rebbach; Boye, Martinez
Villarreal
With Alassane Diatta back available after serving a suspension last time out, the Yellow Submarine have all players available for selection.
They are expected to line up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Luiz Junior set to continue between the sticks. Santiago Mourino and Carlos Romero should feature as the full-backs, while Juan Foyth will pair up with Renato Veiga in the central defensive partnership.
Nicolas Pepe and Alberto Moleiro will take charge in the wide areas in midfield. The duo will look to contribute on both ends of the pitch. Santi Comesana and Pape Gueye will be the two central midfielders, who will look to ensure they dominate the ball.
Finally, Gerard Moreno could come into the starting eleven to line up alongside Georges Mikautadze in the striker partnership, while Ayoze Perez is likely to take a place on the pitch.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Junior; Mourino, Foyth, Veiga, Romero; Pepe, Comesana, Gueye, Moleiro; Mikautadze, Moreno
Key Stats
- Deportivo Alaves have bagged nine goals in their last five outings.
- Villarreal have bagged all eight penalties in 2026, which is the best record in Europe’s top five leagues.
- In the 18 meetings between the two teams, Alaves have won eight, while Villarreal have won seven times.
- The last meeting between the two teams at the Estadio de Mendizorroza finished in a 1-1 draw.
- In the last six meetings between the two, Alaves have only come out on top once.
Player to Watch
Georges Mikautadze
The 25-year-old Georgian international who joined Villarreal last summer, had quite an impressive debut campaign as he finished with 13 goals and six assists in his 32 league outings. He will look to build on it and produce even better numbers this time around.
Mikautadze is already off to a flying start as he has bagged a goal and an assist in his opening two league outings. He will most certainly be the biggest threat for Alaves not just with his goal scoring prowess but his ability to bring others into the game.
Prediction
Deportivo Alaves 1-2 Villarreal
Villarreal will be confident after holding Atletico Madrid to a draw last time out, and their attacking quality should give them the edge against an Alaves side that has made a solid start to the campaign. The hosts have looked competitive in their opening two games, but their lack of cutting edge in the final third could prove costly against a Villarreal team that has plenty of quality in attack.
Alaves should make life difficult for the visitors, particularly at the Estadio de Mendizorroza, and they are likely to create enough chances to get on the scoresheet. However, Villarreal’s experience and greater attacking threat should ultimately make the difference. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the away team.
