Deportivo Alavés vs FC Barcelona Prediction & Betting Tips 13.05.2026

Deportivo Alavés welcome FC Barcelona to Mendizorrotza on Wednesday evening, 13 May 2026, in a LaLiga meeting that means very different things to both clubs. For Alavés, this is survival football. They sit 18th with 37 points, still stuck in the bottom three and in real need of a result to drag themselves clear of danger in the final stretch. For Barcelona, the picture is quite different. Hans-Dieter Flick’s side arrive as league leaders on 91 points, cruising toward the title and looking to finish the job with no late wobble.

There’s still a bit of edge to this one, though. Alavés have shown enough fight at home to make life awkward for stronger sides, and Barcelona’s trip to the Basque Country always comes with a little more bite than a routine fixture on the calendar. The champions-elect have been relentless away from home, yet this is exactly the sort of match where they’ll be expected to control the game, strike early and avoid giving the hosts any real hope. Alavés need points. Barcelona need one more professional away performance.

The recent head-to-head record leans heavily one way. Barcelona beat Alavés 3-1 in the reverse fixture on 29 November 2025, and that fit the broader pattern. The Catalans have handled this opponent with comfort for years, and that history matters when you’re trying to judge whether the underdog can spring a surprise. Still, Alavés’ home form gives them a small foothold. They’ve been awkward at Mendizorrotza. Not enough to make them favourites. Enough to keep Barcelona honest.

Deportivo Alavés Form & Analysis

Alavés are coming into this off a 1-1 draw away at Elche on 9 May, a result that probably felt like a half-step rather than a stride. They scored through Toni Martínez from the spot, conceded later to Álvaro Rodríguez and, in truth, the match looked finely balanced all the way through. Before that came a rougher evening at home, where Athletic Club walked away with a 4-2 win on 2 May. That was the kind of game that exposes every loose edge in a struggling side. Alavés did get on the scoresheet twice, which tells you they can still threaten, but four conceded on home turf is never a good look.

Their one bright moment in this stretch was the 2-1 home win over Mallorca on 25 April, a result that feels increasingly important now because it showed they can still dig out points when under pressure. Before that, they pushed Real Madrid close at the Bernabéu and lost 2-1 on 21 April, then produced a wild 3-3 draw at Real Sociedad on 11 April and shared four goals with Osasuna in another 2-2 home draw on 5 April. That’s a mixed run, but not a timid one. Alavés aren’t folding. They’re just leaking too much at the wrong end.

The home numbers tell the fuller story. At Mendizorrotza, Alavés have 6 wins, 6 draws and 5 defeats, with 23 goals scored and 23 conceded. That’s a properly middling home record, and for a side fighting relegation it isn’t bad at all. The problem is that “solid at home” doesn’t quite cut it when you’re 18th overall. They’ve been scoring regularly enough to stay in games, but the back line hasn’t matched that effort. They’ve also developed a worrying habit of failing to keep clean sheets, and against Barcelona that’s a dangerous flaw. Very dangerous.

What gives them a sliver of hope is their ability to turn matches open. Alavés have been involved in plenty of high-scoring contests, and they don’t seem inclined to shut up shop even against stronger opponents. That makes this a tricky fixture for Flick’s side if the visitors don’t land the first punch. But Alavés will need more than spirit. They need a controlled defensive display they’ve rarely produced, and the recent evidence says that’s a big ask.

FC Barcelona Form & Analysis

Barcelona arrive in blazing form. Their last six matches are all wins, and the way they’ve gone about them has been different enough to show real maturity. They beat Real Madrid 2-0 at home on 10 May, a statement result with Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres striking early and Dani Olmo supplying the assist. Before that, they went to Osasuna and came away with a 2-1 win on 2 May, then handled Getafe 2-0 away on 25 April. A 1-0 home win over Celta Vigo on 22 April came before the 2-1 victory at Atlético Madrid in the Champions League knockout stage on 14 April, and they started the sequence with a 4-1 home thrashing of Espanyol on 11 April.

That’s a clean, ruthless run. Six wins, no fuss. No fluff either. Some of those victories have been tight, which matters here, because Barcelona haven’t needed to run up huge scores to dominate opponents. They’ve controlled territory, taken chances when they’ve arrived and kept matches on their terms. The 2-0 win over Real Madrid is the latest example. It wasn’t all-out chaos. It was composed. Efficient. Exactly what title winners do.

Away from home, Barcelona have been even more impressive in league terms. They sit top of the away table with 12 wins, 1 draw and 4 defeats, scoring 37 and conceding 22. That’s an excellent record by any standard. They travel with real confidence, and they’ve shown no issue carrying their level onto difficult grounds. In fact, one of the strongest trends in their season is that they usually strike first. That matters here because it changes the whole shape of the contest. If Barcelona score early, Alavés will have to open up, and that’s where the visitors can start picking them apart.

There’s also a discipline and control to this Barcelona side that suits away trips. They don’t need to turn every match into a shootout. They’re comfortable winning 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1, and that flexibility is one reason they’ve stayed so far clear at the top. You’d expect them to dominate possession here, but the bigger question is whether they turn that dominance into a clear margin or let Alavés hang around. Given what Flick’s side have been producing, the answer feels obvious enough. They’ll control it. The only real doubt is whether they keep the clean sheet.

Head-to-Head

Barcelona have owned this fixture for a long time. The reverse league meeting on 29 November 2025 ended 3-1 to Flick’s side, and the wider recent run is even more one-sided. Barcelona beat Alavés 1-0 in February 2025, 3-0 away in October 2024 and 3-1 in February 2024. Before that came another narrow win in November 2023, plus a string of results that left little room for Alavés to breathe.

The pattern is clear enough. Barcelona usually win, and they usually score first. Alavés have also struggled badly to keep Barcelona out, which is why the away side remain firm favourites even on the road. The one thing that does stand out is that these games are rarely sterile. There’s often a goal or two for Alavés in the mix, and that keeps the BTTS angle very much alive.

We Predict: Both Teams To Score

We’re backing Both Teams To Score at 4/9 for this one. For more context beyond this pick, see our football tips hub, which pulls together our main football tips hub with singles, goals picks and combo angles in one place. It’s short, but it still looks the strongest play on the card. Alavés have scored in plenty of their recent matches and have found the net in both of their last two league games, while Barcelona’s defence, for all its quality, isn’t one that automatically shuts every opponent out on the road. The hosts’ home record also points to a side that can contribute at least once, even when they’re under the cosh.

The price is tight because Barcelona are clearly the better side, and they probably will win. But the 1-2 correct score feels a fair reflection of how this should unfold: Barcelona on top, Alavés nicking a goal somewhere along the way, and the visitors doing enough to make it another comfortable evening without needing a demolition. If you want a slightly bigger angle, Barcelona to win and both teams to score has a natural appeal. Still, BTTS is the cleaner option.