Fifth-place Alaves host struggling Athletic Bilbao in Basque derby

Athletic Bilbao will be hoping to continue their strong start under new manager Gaizka Garitano against an Alaves side in danger of freefall.

Alaves have been putting their larger regional rival to shame with an electric start that has seen them among the title challengers, although they’ve dropped to fifth after picking up only four points in their last five league matches. The tight nature of the league means Leganes are only seven points behind them in 16th place, so a continuation of their current form could see them fall down the table significantly.

Athletic Bilbao have been in and around the relegation places for the majority of the season and Eduardo Berizzo recently lost his job because of that. The former Celta Vigo manager has now failed to live up to expectations at both Sevilla and Bilbao. Gaizka Garitano has won his first two games in charge with dominant performances, although it took a 92nd-minute penalty from Aritz Aduriz to beat Girona. Still, the xG score 1.81-0.15 xG per Understat, shows how dominant they were against the Catalonian side.

Abelardo has mainly used a 4-4-2 formation during his time in charge of Alaves which makes them hard to break down due to the compact defensive shape they can form, although he does adapt based on the formation. Garitano has stuck with the 4-2-3-1 set-up used by his predecessor against Girona due to it being a basic shape that provides balance to the team.

The Mendizorrotza has been a fortress for Alaves this season. They’re yet to lose there, and have beaten Real Madrid and drawn with Sevilla. On the other hand, Bilbao have been lackluster with just four points and no wins in their seven away league matches. However, they were all under Berizzo, so this match will serve as a true test of Garitano’s immediate impact.

These two sides have only met four times competitively in the last few seasons due to Alaves’ long absence from the top division. Alaves hold the advantage with two wins to Bilbao’s one, but neither side has been able to win away from home so recent history is against Bilbao in the upcoming match.

Inaki Williams will be key for Bilbao in this match due to the danger he provides out wide which will be important in stretching and breaking open the stubborn Alaves defensive shape. He only has four goals and two assists to his name in the league this season, although he did score two goals against Huesca in the Copa del Rey second leg which was Garitano’s first game in charge. The team needs him to start firing creatively or in front of goal if they are going to push themselves up the table.

Aritz Aduriz has found his goalscoring form with five goals in his last four games as he continues to overperform for his age which is a big boost for the club. Iker Muniain has had a major influence on the team when he’s being able to stay injury-free, but Garitano has only used him so far as a late substitute against Girona in which he won the decisive penalty. Giving him a free role as either the central attacking midfielder or on the left-wing should aid their ability to break defensive blocks down.

Alaves are likely to cede possession and play on the counter so maintaining their defensive shape is pivotal in allowing them to absorb pressure. Jony is the key player offensively due to the three goals and five assists he has contributed in the league, so they will need his creative spark when Bilbao manage to transition into their defensive shape as well as his sharp decision-making on the counter.