Alaves vs Villarreal Prediction - La Liga
Villarreal have a chance to consolidate their position in the top four when they face Alaves, who are suffering from a severe personnel crisis, in this round of matches.
At 3:00 AM on March 14, 2026, the Estadio Mendizorrotza will witness a clash between Alaves and Villarreal. While the visiting team is soaring high in the Champions League qualification group, the home team Alaves is struggling in a fierce relegation battle.
Contrasting positions on the leaderboard
Villarreal are having an impressive season, currently sitting 4th in the league table with 54 points. The "Yellow Submarine" have been in fairly consistent form, with 3 wins in their last 5 matches, scoring a total of 50 goals in 27 games (an average of 1.9 goals per game). The goal for Villarreal's team is nothing less than 3 points to secure their place in the top 4.
Conversely, Alaves are currently in 16th place with 27 points, just a narrow distance from the relegation zone. The home team's form is alarming, having failed to win any of their last five matches (two draws, three losses). Their low scoring rate (0.9 goals per game) is the biggest obstacle preventing Alaves from breaking away.
| Team | Location | Point | form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Villarreal | 4 | 54 | Win 3, Loss 2 |
| Alives | 16 | 27 | Draw 2, Loss 3 |
Head-to-head history and key statistics
In their last five encounters, Villarreal have a slight advantage with two wins, two draws, and only one loss. Their most recent meeting in January 2026 saw Villarreal secure a convincing 3-1 victory. Notably, Alaves have been quite resilient at their home stadium, Mendizorrotza, this season, winning five of their seven matches there.
Team news: Alaves is facing a personnel crisis.
Alaves faces mounting difficulties as they lose three key players due to disciplinary action. Specifically, F. Garces is suspended, while A. Guevara and J. Pacheco are both absent after receiving direct red cards in the previous round. C. Protesoni's availability remains uncertain as he has not fully recovered from injury.
On the other side of the pitch, Villarreal also suffered losses in both defense and attack due to injuries. P. Cabanes and L. Costa both have knee problems, J. Foyth is out for a long time with an Achilles tendon injury, and A. Perez is recovering from a severe bruise.
Predicting tactics and results
With several key players missing from their defense, Alaves will likely adopt a defensive approach, playing deep and waiting for counter-attacking opportunities. However, against a Villarreal side with a sharp attack, the pressure on the home team's goal will be immense. Experts predict this will be a tight match with few goals scored (under 2.5 goals).
Forecast:Villarreal will either win or draw.
Probability ratio:Villarreal wins (45%), draws (45%), Alaves wins (10%).
Team lineup updated at 02:30 on 14/03/2026
Official lineup
Alives
Diagram: 3-5-2
CoachQuique Sanchez Flores
Starting lineup:
- 1. Antonio Sivera (G)
- 14. Nahuel Tenaglia (D)
- 24. Victor Parada (D)
- 17. Jonny Otto (D)
- 7. Ángel Pérez (M)
- 19. Pablo Ibáñez (M)
- 8. Antonio Blanco (M)
- 10. Carles Aleñá (M)
- 3. Youssef Enriquez Lekhedim (M)
- 11. Toni Martínez (F)
- 15. Lucas Boyé (F)
Substitutes:
- 13. Raúl Fernández
- 31. Grégoire Swiderski
- 16. Ville Koski
- 36. Paco Sanz
- 30. Carlos Ballestero
- 35. Xanet Olaiz
- 18. Jon Guridi
- 21. Abderrahman Rebecca
- 20. Calebe Gonçalves
- 4. Denis Suárez
- 9. Mariano Díaz
- 22. Ibrahim Diabaté
Villarreal
Diagram: 4-4-2
CoachMarcelino
Starting lineup:
- 1. Luiz Júnior (G)
- 15. Santiago Mouriño (D)
- 6. Pau Navarro (D)
- 4. Rafa Marín (D)
- 23. Sergi Cardona (D)
- 17. Tajon Buchanan (M)
- 14. Santi Comesaña (M)
- 18. Pape Gueye (M)
- 24. Alfonso Pedraza (M)
- 19. Nicolas Pépé (F)
- 9. Georges Mikautadze (F)
Substitutes:
- 25. Arnau Tenas
- 12. Renato Veiga
- 5. Willy Kambwala
- 3. Alexander Freeman
- 20. Alberto Moleiro
- 10. Dani Parejo
- 16. Thomas Partey
- 7. Gerard Moreno
- 11. Alfon González
- 21. Tani Oluwaseyei
