Deportivo Alaves vs Real Betis
Spain – LaLiga
Date: Sunday, 5 January 2019
Kick-off at 15:00 UK/ 16:00 CET
Venue: Estadio Mendizorrotza (Vitoria-Gasteiz)
A revived Real Betis side of the head to the Basque Country to take on Alaves in the penultimate game of the weekend in La Liga. Asier Garitano Alaves has hit the poor run of form but they have some tricky games of late and this is not easy given the advances in the level of performance that Betis have shown.
Alaves was completed in 2019 by taking just one point from their final four matches in La Liga and also get dumped out of the Copa del Rey by the fourth level of Jaen. Which has at least cleared their schedule for January but they have slipped down six and another defeat here might just start to see a little bit of pressure build up in Garitano were always going to find it difficult to guide Alaves with an impressive kind of season they managed last time around.
Rubi opposite numbers seem out of the forest at this time after his Betis side reeled off three straight wins at the end of 2019. They were beaten at home by Atleti Betis last time out but do look to have a clearer idea of how they want to go on matters following a slow start to the campaign as a continuation of a bad ending last year.
They tend to go with more Loren Iglesias Borja Moron again here despite the former scoring a record low this term. Rubi will be just as concerned though by trying to stop the dynamic duo Alaves' from Joselu and Lucas Perez, who has been either completely match since making the move to Mendizorrotza in the summer.
Prediction
Alaves are winless in their last five matches in all competitions, drawing once and losing four.
The shape of the hosts in Mendizorroza has been strong this season, with only Sevilla and Real Madrid took the three points there.
Real Betis' 2-1 defeat against Atletico Madrid recently, ending a run decent shape for this Rubi side.
Prediction: Deportivo Alaves 1 1 Real Betis
