Deportivo Alavés

Clinging to survival by the slenderest of threads, Deportivo Alavés occupy 17th place in LaLiga with 36 points from 33 matches—a campaign that has transformed from autumn fairy tale into spring nightmare. Just five matches remain, and Los Babazorros are teetering precariously above the drop zone. Their recent form shows a flickering pulse: two wins from their last five (LWWDL), punctuated by a memorable 1-0 triumph over Barcelona on May 13th that demonstrated their capacity for heroics. Yet Saturday's 2-1 home defeat to Rayo Vallecano has once again exposed the fragility that threatens their top-flight status. Argentine striker Lucas Boyé remains their offensive lifeline with 7 goals, providing the hold-up play essential to their counter-attacking approach, while teenage winger Ibrahim Mbaye offers rare electricity in a squad desperately missing the metronomic presence of loanee Aleksandar Pavlovic in midfield. This is manager Luis García Plaza's defining hour: rediscover the defensive organization that briefly lifted Alavés to third place in September—or witness the unthinkable return to Segunda División after six years in the elite.

A pragmatic, defensively organized side built on compact structure and tactical discipline, designed to frustrate opponents before punishing them on efficient transitions. The system relies heavily on Pavlovic's distribution from deep and Boyé's hold-up play to spring counter-attacks.