Alaves vs Barcelona prediction 06.10.2024 | La Liga

• Competition: La Liga
• Date: Sunday, 6th October, 2024
• Kickoff: 15:15 UK / 16:15 CEST
• Venue: Estadio Mendizorrotza (Vitoria-Gasteiz)

On Sunday afternoon, Alaves will welcome the league's leader, Barcelona, in the ninth round of La Liga at Estadio Mendizorrotza in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Alaves returned to La Liga in the 2022/23 season but had to go through the playoffs, and no one really believed they could have a good season in the Spanish top-flight division. But the Basque team defied expectations, finishing 10th and staying a comfortable 13 points clear of relegation. This year, Alaves continued with good performances at the start of the season, but as the season progresses, they are slowing down. Still, they are in 11th place with ten points in eight rounds - a position they can be content with.

Barcelona came to this season after a poor one, where they failed to win any trophies, which is unacceptable for their standards. This season, despite dealing with constant injury problems, the Catalan team is doing great as they hold the top spot in La Liga with 21 points in eight rounds - three away from their main rival, Real Madrid. Even though their last La Liga game against Osasuna (4:2) was a disaster, they rotated the squad, which is the main reason for their terrible game.

Alaves vs Barcelona pick: Barcelona to win and cover the -1 AH spread

Alaves lost back-to-back games against Getafe and Real Madrid and lost three out of the last four games while allowing nine goals - 2.25 per game. Even though they won seven points in three games at home, we believe they were outplayed in all three matches, and we doubt they can continue with good performances.

Barcelona won eight out of ten games, while covering the -1.5 spread in four out of those eight wins. Their only two losses were against Monaco and Osasuna. Against Monaco, they received a red card, and against Osasuna, they rotated too much. So, without those circumstances, we could easily speak about an eight-game winning streak. But when coach Flick plays their best available squad, they are dominating opponents.

Barcelona won both h2h games last season (3:1 and 2:1). Additionally, Barcelona won 12 of 14 last h2h games - 86%.

Considering the difference in quality, Alaves' poor form, and all the above, we believe that Barcelona should secure a comfortable win away from home.