Spanish La Liga
2017-08-26 - Alaves vs Barcelona
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: Spanish Primera Division
Saturday 26th August 2017 - Kick Off 5:15pm
This game is live on TV
Alaves
A lot of the recent Alaves success can be credited to Mauricio Pellegrino, but the manager decided to move on and take over at Premier League Southampton this summer. While there has been plenty of activity in the transfer window, the big question for Alaves is whether they can maintain the standards Pellegrino set for the club as he restored them into a Spanish Primera Division side.
Most expected Alaves to have some difficulties on their return to the Primera Division, but they overachieved with a 9th place finish and only missed out on a return to European Football after losing 3-1 in the Copa Del Rey Final. Avoiding relegation is the goal for Alaves again this season and they will want to turn a few of their 8 draws here last season into wins to do that.
Alaves have not won any of their last 3 games in all competitions and they suffered back to back losses to end last season and open this 2017/18 campaign when losing 1-0 at Leganes last weekend. They have only lost 1 of their last 8 home games in all competitions and Alaves are unbeaten in 4 games, winning 3 of those.
Barcelona
Neymar is now a part of the past of Barcelona, but the club are not letting him go easily with stories that they are going to sure their former player for a breach of contract. The Brazilian has responded with suggestions Barcelona are being let down by the power brokers and all does not feel right for a club who have also struggled to bring in reinforcements since Neymar departed.
It feels like Barcelona have fallen a couple of steps behind Real Madrid who have won the League and Champions League double a few months ago and favoured to do the same this season. A 2-0 win over Real Betis last weekend was a good opener for Barcelona and this is a club who have won 40 of their last 57 away League games.
Barcelona have won 8 of their last 10 games in all competitions, but the exceptions came in losses to Real Madrid in both Legs of the Spanish Super Cup. They did end last season with 3 straight away wins, but Barcelona saw that run snapped with a defeat at Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup Second Leg.
Andres Iniesta and Luis Suarez may miss out for Barcelona this weekend.
Head to Head
Alaves stunned Barcelona with a 1-2 win at the Nou Camp last season, but it was Barcelona won the remaining 2 games with a 0-6 away win and a 3-1 win in the Spanish Cup Final.
Barcelona are unbeaten in 5 visits to Alaves and they have won 3 in a row here.
Prediction
There seems like there is plenty of upheaval at Barcelona at the moment and it feels the players are not as happy as they once were at the club. Neymar's departure has highlighted that and the players look to be backing their former teammate when it comes to the legal situation developing after Barcelona moved to sue the Brazilian for breaching his contract.
This does not make for good reading going into the new season and Barcelona's failure to prise Philippe Coutinho away from Liverpool won't have helped so far. The club just doesn't feel as strong as they did twelve months ago and Barcelona look to have fallen behind Real Madrid both at home and in Europe.
While that is the case, Barcelona still look the second best club in Spain and they still have Lionel Messi which makes them a dangerous opponent on their day. They are facing an Alaves team this weekend who have lost a successful manager this summer and who have been seeing a lot of players both come and go from the club.
That may mean it will take time for Alaves to gel together after overachieving in the 2016/17 season and they were beaten comfortably by Barcelona in their last couple of games last season. Barcelona might be missing key players in Andres Iniesta and Luis Suarez, but there is enough talent here to get the job done and I do think Barcelona win here.
They have managed that 3 times in a row at Alaves and last season Barcelona were 0-6 winners here. I would be stunned if they win by that many again, but I do think they can cover the Asian Handicap in a victory here and I am going to back the Catalan giants to do that.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Alaves 0-3 Barcelona
FIXED ODDS BETTING TIP :
I'll back Barcelona - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.82 Bet365
