Alaves Without a Win in Five: Can Espanyol Capitalise on a Side in Freefall?

Two clubs in poor form. One match that neither can really afford to lose. Sunday's La Liga fixture between Deportivo Alaves and Espanyol is exactly the kind of game that tells you everything about a squad's character. And right now, I'm not convinced either side has enough of it.

Alaves Are in Serious Trouble

Listen, zero wins from five La Liga matches is not a blip. That is a problem. Alaves have picked up two draws and suffered three defeats across those five matches, conceding eleven goals in the process. Eleven. The thing is, one of those was a 1-6 home defeat to Barcelona, which you can partially explain away. But losing 1-2 to Celta Vigo and 1-2 to Atletico Madrid at home as well? That is about more than quality. That is about attitude and desire.

They have kept just one clean sheet in those five matches. The defensive basics are not being executed. Someone in that dressing room needs to look at the numbers on the board and feel something. If they do not, this will get worse before it gets better. End of.

Espanyol Are Hardly Inspiring Confidence

Espanyol are not coming into this in good shape either. One win, one draw and three defeats from their last five La Liga outings. Their only victory in that sample was a 1-0 win against Villarreal. After that, Espanyol lost 1-2 to Racing Santander. That result alone should embarrass them.

They have conceded seven goals in those five matches and kept just one clean sheet. The thing is, their defensive record is marginally better than Alaves across this run, but marginally better than poor is still poor. They are also carrying a major injury, which limits the squad options available to their manager.

Head-to-Head Tells You Something

Alaves have won both previous meetings between these two clubs in La Liga, scoring four goals and conceding two across those two games. Both matches saw goals at both ends. The head-to-head record is a small sample, but it does suggest Alaves have shown something in this specific matchup before. Whether that version of Alaves turns up on Sunday is another question entirely.

Both meetings saw goals at both ends, and over 2.5 goals were scored in both. With the defensive standards on show from both clubs across recent weeks, that pattern looks hard to break.

The Verdict

Alaves need something from this match desperately, but they are not giving me reasons to trust them. They have been breached too easily, too often, and against sides they should be competing with more effectively. Espanyol are inconsistent and have not done enough to earn real confidence either.

The thing is, one of these sides has to end a poor run on Sunday. Home advantage and the head-to-head record gives Alaves the slight edge, but I would not back them with any great conviction. If you are looking at a betting angle here, the goals market is the more logical conversation. Both defences have been leaking throughout this five-match window, both previous head-to-head meetings went over 2.5 goals, and neither side has shown the defensive accountability required to suggest Sunday will be different.

Goals in this one look likely. A clean sheet from either side would genuinely surprise me. Back goals, not teams. That is the sanest approach to this fixture.