The lowdown on Alavés
FC Barcelona visit Alavés this Sunday at 9.00pm CET. Let’s take a closer look at the team that stands between them and three crucial points.
Where are they from?
The team are from the picturesque city of Vitoria (or Gasteiz in Basque), which may not be as large as Bilbao or San Sebastián but is considered the de facto capital of the region because this is where all the major political institutions are based. The team itself are named not after the city, but after the province and historical region of Álava (or Araba in Basque).
History
Although football had been played in the city since the turn of the century, it was not until 1921 that a team called by the English name of Sport Friends opted to form an official society, known from then onwards as Deportivo Alavés.
This is the club’s fifth different spell in the top flight, their seventeenth Liga season in total, and their fifth in a row. Although they have never won any major honours, they came close on two famous occasions.
In one of the most dramatic European nights ever, Liverpool looked to have had the 2001 UEFA Cup Final done and dusted with a 3-1 lead at half-time. But the Basques battled back. Jordi Cruyff’s late header meant it ended 4-4 to send the game into golden goal extra time, where Delfí Geli’s own goal meant the cup was headed for Merseyside.
In 2017 they reached another final, this time of the Copa del Rey. Despite a spirited start against Barça, they ended up being outclassed to the tune of a 3-1 defeat.
Nickname
As well as the self-explanatory El Glorioso, Alavés are also known as the Babazorros, a Basque expression meaning ‘bean-sacks’. Though originally used to mock the people of this region, who would allegedly eat beans with everything, the club now uses the name with pride.
The venue
Opened in 1924, Mendizorrotza is the third oldest professional football stadium in Spain, and since major expansion in 1999, now holds 19,840 people, although none of that will be necessary as another game is played behind closed doors due to Covid-19 – which is also the reason why further stadium expansion plans are currently on hold.
Head to head
Since a shock 2-1 win for Alavés at Camp Nou in 2016, Barça have won eight of their last ten games against the Basques in LaLiga, including 6-0 and 5-0 wins at Mendizorrotza and 5-1 and 4-1 wins at Camp Nou.
But the two exceptions have come recently. The sides drew 1-1 the last time Barça visited Vitoria last season and the game at Camp Nou earlier this season finished the same way. Memphis Depay put Barça into the lead but Luis Rioja equalised just three minutes later.
Season so far
After surviving another relegation battle last season, 2021/22 didn’t get off to the best of starts for Alavés when they lost their first five games.
But they then won four of their next seven to climb out of the relegation zone.
That improvement in fortunes didn’t last. Since then, they are winless in nine games dating all the way back to November and have dropped back down to 18th in the table. They come into this game having lost 4-0 to Betis midweek.
They also suffered an early exit from the Copa del Rey, losing 2-1 at Linares, they side Barça faced in the next round.
The players
International caps
John Guidetti (Sweden, 29); Matt Miazga (USA, 22); Abdallahi Mahmoud (Mauritania, 6); Jesús Owono (Equatorial Guinea, 4); Mamadou Loum (Senegal, 2), Manu García (Spain, 1)
Top goalscorers 2021/22
Joselu (10), Víctor Laguardia (2)
The boss
Having also managed Athletic Club, Real Valladolid, Osasuna and Levante, José Luis Mendilibar is a familiar face on the Liga circuit.
Best known for his work at Eibar for the last six years, he replaced Javier Calleja at Alavés during the winter break, although for the moment the change hasn’t produced a turnaround as far as results are concerned.