Deportivo Alavés and Rayo Vallecano meet this Saturday evening in the final round of the LaLiga season. For the hosts, the pressure is off after they mathematically secured their top-flight status with a vital 1-0 win over Real Oviedo last weekend. Rayo, meanwhile, arrive with one eye firmly on the future; they have a UEFA Conference League final against Crystal Palace in Leipzig just four days after this fixture.
Deportivo Alavés Form & Analysis
Quique Sánchez Flores has steered his side to safety with a strong finish to the campaign. Their form has been resilient, particularly at home, where they famously downed Barcelona 1-0 earlier this month. While a 4-2 defeat to Athletic Club interrupted their momentum, they responded perfectly by picking up four points from the subsequent two matches to ensure their survival.
The manager has spoken about finishing the season on the front foot and rewarding the home fans for their support. However, they will have to adjust their backline, as Facundo Garcés is suspended for this final outing. There is also a question mark over striker Lucas Boyé, who remains a doubt due to a muscle issue. Despite the lack of an urgent points requirement, Alavés are likely to play with the freedom of a side that has achieved its primary objective.
Rayo Vallecano Form & Analysis
Iñigo Pérez finds himself in a tricky position. Rayo are currently eighth and enjoying a superb eight-game unbeaten run in the league, including a solid 2-0 victory over Villarreal in their most recent outing. However, with the European final looming on 27 May, squad management is the priority. Pérez has been open about his team running on fumes, and he is expected to protect his key assets to ensure they are fit for the trip to Germany.
The visitors are also dealing with a depleted squad. Both Isi Palazón and Unai López are suspended, while Luiz Felipe and Ilias Akhomach remain sidelined through injury. Iván Balliu is also considered doubtful. Given these constraints and the impending European showpiece, expect Rayo to rotate heavily, potentially disrupting the rhythm that has served them so well in recent weeks.
## Head-to-Head
The history between these two has been defined by defensive tension. In their last nine meetings across all competitions, every single match has finished with fewer than 2.5 goals. While Rayo have generally held the upper hand in the broader head-to-head record, the stakes and the respective motivations of both sides this weekend suggest the tactical script may be different from their previous low-scoring encounters.
We Predict: Both Teams To Score
With Alavés playing with the confidence of a safe side and Rayo likely forced into defensive changes due to rotation and suspensions, the conditions are set for an open game of football. Alavés will want to impress in their final home appearance, and Rayo’s high-stakes European final shouldn't prevent them from finding the net against a rotated or slightly relaxed home defence.
We predict Both Teams To Score 1.7031, with a likely scoreline of 1-1.
