Deportivo Alaves

vs

Villarreal CF

Preview

Alavés

• Alavés have made a strong start to LaLiga 2026/2027 with 4 points from 2 games and are yet to concede at home.
• Alaves, who have a talisman in 2026/2027, Mariano Diaz (2 goals, 2 assists in 2 matches), have made a great start to the season in Spain's top flight, sitting 2nd in the table after 2 wins from 2 games.
• His side are a very direct team who control the tempo of the game, and can be very dangerous when they are able to play vertical passes into the box and create chaos in the second phase.
• Alavés are unbeaten after 5 in all competitions with 4 wins and 1 draw.

Villarreal

• Villarreal have been more measured in possession but remain dangerous when the press bites.
• Instead, Inigo Perez's side, which he took over in July 2026, are very tidy tactically, playing a narrow mid-block with lots of players able to push forward and then get back in transition.
• The former Arsenal winger has been a regular in the starting XI, but they are still seeking their first away win of the season after 1 game.

Key Players

• Alaves can score goals in a couple of different ways but their real talisman is Mariano Diaz, who has supplied 3 of their 5 goals across their last 5 games.
• Georges Mikautadze has been their sharpest finisher with 2 goals in the last 5, but Nicolas Pepe, who has scored Villarreal's only goal in 2026/2027, could be the key to unlocking the Alaves defense.

Betting Insights

• Under 2.5 goals at 2.0 looks like a decent bet here, with both sides having been built around a compact block.
• Both teams to score at 1.65 looks a decent value bet in a game where both teams could nick a goal in the transition as Alaves play direct football and Villarreal attempt to play through them.
• Alaves are priced at 2.72 for the win, while Villarreal are a slight favorite at 2.42 with the draw coming in at 3.5.
• The value seems to be on a narrow Alaves edge or the draw, given the hosts are unbeaten and in better form with 4 wins and a draw from their last 5.