- Alavés are 7th in LaLiga 2026/2027 with 11 points after 8 games, whereas Málaga are 20th with 4 points after 8.
- Alavés have won 3, drawn 0 and lost 2 of their 5 home games in LaLiga 2026/2027, scoring 10 goals (2.00 per game).
- Málaga have won 0, drawn 1 and lost 3 of their 4 away games in LaLiga 2026/2027, scoring 1 goal (0.25 per game) and conceding 2.00 per game.
Back Babazorros to be ruthless
Deportivo Alavés are the clear favourites at 1.87 to beat Málaga CF at Estadio Mendizorroza on Friday, but the visitors have the odds stacked against them at 4.1 and the draw at 3.45 looks a little low for a game that should be tight.
The hosts have not had the best start to the season with 1 win, 1 draw and 3 defeats in their last 5 matches across all current competitions. But their last two games have seen a 0-0 draw away to Athletic Bilbao and 1-2 defeat at home to Atlético Madrid, so they have not quite found their rhythm yet.
Juan Funes' Málaga have been in awful form with 0 wins, 3 draws and 2 defeats in their last 5 games across all competitions. Their away record in 2026/2027 has been particularly poor with 0 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses in 4 trips, scoring a measly 0.25 goals per game and letting in 2.00.
Funes and Flores have very different approaches
Funes has set up his side to play much wider than Flores, who uses a compact 5-3-2 with a deep block, organised pressing and quick vertical breaks. The Malaguistas will stretch the game with their full-backs, flank overloads and high pressing and it should be an interesting contrast in styles to watch.
It will be a battle of width versus transition and Alavés will be looking to take advantage of the space behind Málaga's press.
Málaga have not won their last away game at Alavés, so the Babazorros have had their number on this ground.
Lucas Boyé is the main man for Alavés and tops the LaLiga 2026/2027 goals table for the club with 4 goals in 6 matches, 4 of which have come in their last 7. Adrián Niño is Málaga's brightest spark with 1 goal in 3 appearances, and he scored 2 of Málaga's last 3 goals in the recent 5-game run.
We're taking the hosts to edge a close game here with the 1.7 odds because the bookies have them spot on at 1.87. The under 2.5 goals price also fits with the likely outcome of a tight game while both teams to score no at 1.83 also leans towards Alavés control as they are the only side that can dominate the game.
