Deportivo Alaves Vs Leganes
Friday 13th December 2019 – 20:00 Kick-Off
Spanish La Liga
Pick: Alaves to WIN
Odds: 8/5
Bookmaker: Betway
Spanish La Liga Betting at 22Bet
(All betting odds displayed were correct as of 10th December 2019 at 21:10)
Preview: Friday’s offering of La Liga action from Spain focuses on the battle for survival. Leganes travel to the Mendizorrotza with momentum behind them following a rare success last time out, but could find this meeting with Deportivo Alaves an altogether tougher proposition.
Deportivo Alaves Vs Leganes Live Stats & Betting Odds
Deportivo Alaves Preview – Different beast in front of a home support?
Failure to collect any points from their previous two league fixtures has dropped Alaves (15th – W5 D3 L8, GF17 GA23) from their customary position in mid-table to within five points of the relegation places, after successive defeats against Real Madrid (1-2) and Granada (3-0). The latter an eighth defeat of the season for Asier Garitano’s side who will certainly now appreciate this return to home comforts, where they are notoriously more productive and difficult to overcome.
Just two visitings teams (the esteemed duo of Sevilla and Real Madrid) have successfully departed Mendizorrotza unscathed and with the maximum quota of points banked. Alaves have recorded more of their overall wins (4/5) and points (14/18) when strutting their stuff in front of a home crowd, whilst also boasting a vastly superior goal difference (+6 compared with -12). Clearly every home fixture becomes incredibly important to their cause. Particularly those against the lesser lights of the division, which, so far at least, have invariably been converted into victories.
Of those who were dispatched at home thus far, none of Celta Vigo (2-0), Levante (1-0), Mallorca (2-0) or Valladolid (3-0) are currently ranked higher than 12th in the standings, illustrating the precedent this team has set for capitalising on favourable home encounters. And nobody thrives in these fixtures quite like the former Arsenal and West Ham striker Lucas Perez, with the 31-year-old aiming to score for a sixth successive La Liga home game on Friday.
Leganes Preview – Recent success catalyst for maiden away triumph?
These have been bleak times for anyone associated with Leganes (19th – W2 D3 L11, GF11 GA27). Rooted to the bottom of La Liga for much of this term, and having parted company with one manager already, this was a club on course for what seemed like inevitable demotion back to Spain’s Segunda Division after a woeful start to the season comprising of one win from the first fifteen games. But has last week’s victory over Celta Vigo breathed new life into their survival mission?
That 3-2 triumph a week ago was only a second of the season and first since 26 October, when they edged out Mallorca at home to win 1-0. Even more remarkable, however, was how this team scored three times despite failing to notch more than one goal in any game beforehand. The players clearly weren’t accustomed to this rare phenomenon either. Cruising with the score at 3-0, Los pepineros would come close to squandering their healthy advantage before ultimately hanging on for three priceless points.
Both victories came at home, however. The challenge now for manager Javier Aguirre will be building on the momentum garnered last time out and securing a first away win in La Liga since winning at Sevilla back in May of last season. Their away efforts during this campaign are not exactly a ringing endorsement: five defeats and only two draws, scoring just the three times. Though their record on the road in Alaves specifically is a lot more encouraging, avoiding defeat on each of the last four visits (D4).
Deportivo Alaves Vs Leganes Key Facts:
- Only three teams – Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Sevilla – have scored a league goal away to Alaves this season, losing only two of eight said fixtures (W4 D2 L2).
- Leganes would fail to even score on four occasions as the visiting team this season, while a first away win continues to elude them after seven previous attempts (D2 L5).
- Almost five years have passed since Alaves last won a league encounter against Leganes, with the latter unbeaten in the eight previous meetings (W2 D6).
Betting Summary
Judged solely on their respective efforts from this season, it would be very difficult making a case for the visitors. Leganes (21/10 WilliamHill) will be buoyed by their win last weekend – only a second of the campaign – but really don’t enjoy the travelling aspect having lost five of their seven away encounters thus far. Goals have also come at a premium (only Espanyol have netted fewer than their 11 goals, coming at a rate much less than a goal per game: 0.69).
This fixture has produced four consecutive draws when Alaves (8/5 Betway) are on hosting duties, which is a strong trend. However, it could be worth chancing the home side bucking that trend here. Their recent form is certainly disappointing with recent back-to-back defeats, but they’ve taken 14 out of 24 points that went on offer at their Mendizorrotza so far (W4 D2 L2) and have shipped just three goals there. Moreover, the hosts boast a striker bang in form in Lucas Perez, looking to score for a sixth consecutive La Liga home game.
