- Real Oviedo have not won at home in their last three LaLiga games
- Real Oviedo have won one, drawn two and lost two of their last five LaLiga fixtures
Oviedo playing catch-up
The contrast in the way these two sides play could make for a fascinating tactical chess match on Sunday with Real Oviedo trying to control the ball and pull Alaves out of their compact positions and Quique Sanchez Flores’ men more likely to hit on the break.
Guillermo Almada’s system is built on a structured approach with players knowing their positions and a system to press and control the play when they have the ball. Oviedo’s buildup play is characterised by patience and half-space overloads while Almada has been working hard with the squad to ensure they are cohesive in their defensive shape.
Borja Sánchez has been the creative spark that makes their system tick and Luis Rioja the pacey runner who can make things happen on the counter. The players have had longer training sessions to get their match patterns right and many of them are still learning the positional play that the coach demands.
Alaves getting a grip on the survival battle
Alaves are 18th in the LaLiga 2025-2026 standings with 37 points from 35 matches while Oviedo are 20th on 29 points at the same stage in their maiden LaLiga campaign since 2000-01. But Flores has made them a lot tighter at the back since he took over in March 2026 and they have been more dangerous from set pieces and on the transition.
Federico Vinas is still Oviedo’s primary attacking weapon with nine LaLiga goals this season, but Antonio Martinez has been lethal for Alaves of late, bagging four in his last five. Alaves have no away wins in their last three games (including two draws) so there is some uncertainty about which team might get the points in this one.
The draw in the head-to-head league fixture in 2025/2026 finished 1-1 and Oviedo haven’t lost to Alaves in their past two meetings, winning the other game. But the odds on the visitors look good enough to take on Sunday and there will be an extra spice to the game because this is Oviedo’s first LaLiga season since 2000-01 while Alaves have been involved in a fight for survival since Flores took over.
Back the visitors at 89/100 in the match result market with the understanding that there could be goals in this game because of the contrasting styles. Take Over 2.5 goals at 11/10 and Both teams to score - Yes at 43/50.
