🏏 Sun, 17 May 2026 19:00 CEST
Real Oviedo
vs
Deportivo Alavés
4-2-3-1 vs 3-5-2
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- For bottom side Oviedo (20th, 29 points), the survival fight is a daunting prospect heading into this match. As of the end of matchday 35, they trail 19th-place Levante by six points and 17th-place Elche by ten, a wide gap. With just one win in their last five (W-D-L-L-D), a home victory still eludes them. Alaves, meanwhile, sit 14th (40 points), safely mid-table and free of pressure ahead of the final round.
- The season's first meeting on matchday 18 ended 1-1 at Alaves, a tight, defensive affair in which both sides lacked a cutting edge. Oviedo have struggled for goals all season, their 26 goals in 35 games the worst in the league. Alaves also have attacking concerns with 42 goals in 36 games, so who strikes first holds the key.
- 41-year-old Santi Cazorla (born 13 December 1984) provides Oviedo's creativity. The Spain legend, whose weapon is precise passing and shooting with both feet, returned to his hometown of Oviedo after shining at Arsenal and Villarreal. As the No. 10 in a 4-2-3-1, he is expected to create chances for Uruguay international centre-forward Federico Vinas (born 30 June 1998, with prolific scoring in the Mexican league).
- Alaves line up in a 4-4-2, attacking through the height of strike pairing Toni Martinez (born 30 June 1997, 187cm) and Ibrahima Diabate (born 10 November 2000, 185cm). Martinez in particular is a target-man centre-forward who spent four years at Porto and is a strong finisher inside the box. Midfielder Denis Suarez (formerly of Barcelona and Arsenal) controls the attack as the playmaker.
- Oviedo's Eric Bailly (No. 2, formerly of Manchester United), Santi Cazorla (No. 8) and Hassan Hassan (No. 10) all have experience at Villarreal. Bailly in particular had two spells there, while Cazorla also had two stints at his former club. On matchday 33 Oviedo drew 1-1 with Villarreal at home, with their ex-Villarreal players standing out.
- Oviedo's defence has been exposed with 54 goals conceded in 35 games, the second-worst in the league. They have leaked especially heavily away, conceding six goals across their last two away games (at Celta and Betis). Alaves, by contrast, proved their defensive solidity by beating Barcelona 1-0 on matchday 36. The gap in defensive quality could well decide the outcome.