Alavés Vs Villarreal: Suspension hits Alavés as Villarreal chase top-four place

Ander Guevara and Jon Pacheco will be absent for Alavés on Friday after being sent off against Valencia, leaving the Basque side to reshuffle for the clash with Villarreal. The upcoming alavés vs villarreal fixture pitches a team fighting two points clear of the relegation zone against a Yellow Submarine side sitting fourth in La Liga.

Alavés player absences: Ander Guevara and Jon Pacheco

Alavés enter the match with two suspensions following the red cards sustained by Ander Guevara and Jon Pacheco in the defeat to Valencia. Victor Parada and Pablo Ibáñez will return after serving their own suspensions, giving the Basque club some continuity at the back. Carlos Protesoni was substituted in the first half of the last game and is set to be absent on Friday, but no other injury concerns were listed for the home squad.

At home, Alavés have collected 19 points from 13 league matches this season. The Basque outfit have taken just two points from their last five matches and have not won in La Liga since the end of January, a run that leaves them only two points above the bottom three.

Alavés Vs Villarreal: Villarreal’s league position and stakes

Villarreal arrive in form after a 2-1 victory over Elche, and Marcelino’s side occupy fourth place in the table. The Yellow Submarine hold a record of 17 wins, three draws and seven defeats, totaling 54 points, and sit level on points with third-placed Atlético Madrid; avoiding defeat on Friday would move Villarreal into third.

Villarreal have been strong on the road this season, collecting 20 points from 13 away league matches, and they sit 11 points clear of fifth-placed Real Betis. A win on Friday would draw them to within six points of second-placed Real Madrid—who themselves were noted as missing a number of important players.

Villarreal squad issues: unavailable players and late doubts

Villarreal will be without Pau Cabanes, Logan Costa, Juan Foyth and Willy Kambwala through injury. Ayoze Pérez and Pau Navarro are listed as doubts and will face late fitness tests before selection is confirmed. Marcelino’s selection constraints add another layer to the tactical choices for the trip to the Basque Country.

Head-to-head history adds texture to the encounter: Alavés lead the overall record with 16 wins to Villarreal’s 14, and there have been three draws. Villarreal have not beaten Alavés away from home since January 2020, with their most recent away successes over the Basque outfit coming in front of their own supporters.

For Alavés the immediate task is clear: replace Ander Guevara and Jon Pacheco and steady a side that has picked up just two points from five matches. For Villarreal the test is to protect a top-four position while managing absences and doubts in Marcelino’s squad. On Friday, Alavés will host Villarreal with both teams facing distinct pressure and clear objectives for the remainder of the weekend.