Match for the 3rd round of the La Liga, at Mendizorrotza, home of Alaves.
Facts
12 out of the last 14 matches between Alavés and Atlético Madrid at Alavés' home ground were no goals. In fact, 11 of those matches were also under 2.5 goals.
14 out of the last 15 home league matches of Alavés were under 2.5 goals!
Betting Tip Alaves – Atletico Madrid
Alaves are a tough nut to crack, especially at home, where the games are usually sluggish affairs. Atletico Madrid still hasn’t found its groove this season and is quickly approaching a state of emergency. We expect a low-tempo game, and the 1.68 odds for Under 2.5 Goals are appealing.
Recommendation: Under 2,5 goals
Odds:1.68:
Alaves
Alaves faced off against Real Betis last week and did not rise to the challenge (1-0 defeat). They started sluggishly and fell behind in the 16th minute, after Lo Celso took advantage of defensive miscommunication. From that point on, Alaves did not enjoy any success in their efforts to break down the robust Betis defence, and even came close to conceding when Betis hit the post late.
This game was a rude awakening, one that alerted the team to its weaknesses. Manager Coudet noted that his team’s movements were off, and against a capable opponent such as Betis, they paid the price. At the same time, he expressed confidence that the team can perform better.
Alaves are unbeaten in their past 5 home games (3-2-0), and have now finalised the acquisitions of centre back Pacheco from Real Sociedad and forward Lucas Boye from Granada. The team is also nearly done with a deal to bring in midfielder Suarez from Villarreal. Boye won’t be ready for the upcoming game, while starting defender Maras is questionable.
Atletico Madrid
Atletico are already in an uphill battle when it comes to championship contention. They’ve started off the new campaign in a very problematic way, and the recent draw to Elche was indicative of the problems.
They started off strong and managed to score early with Sørloth (8’), followed by a missed chance by the same player in the 14th minute. Right after that, Elche scored an equaliser, and Atletico never recovered.
Simeone’s team held the initiative for the remainder of the game but lacked any semblance of a convincing end product, wasting several opportunities. Nothing changed until the end, and Atletico failed to win for the second game in a row. The one point after two games is the worst output in the first two games of a season under Simeone.
The squad is drastically different compared to last season, and that has created a lot of uncertainty. Any semblance of homogeneity is gone, and the Club World Cup shortened the time available for preseason preparations.
There is also a possibility of yet another transfer right at the end of the window. Veteran defender Gimenez and midfielder Baena remain unavailable.
