Two teams struggling towards the bottom of the La Liga table will lock horns for a vital match on Saturday afternoon, with Leganes welcoming Alaves to Estadio Municipal de Butarque.
El Lega, who are 17th in the division, will enter the contest off the back of a 2-0 defeat to Valencia, while 19th-placed Alaves lost 1-0 to Getafe last time out, so both sides will be bidding to bounce back from disappointing results this weekend.
Match preview
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Leganes have lost each of their last three games in all competitions, including their last two in the league against Rayo Vallecano and Valencia, which has seen them drop into 17th spot in the table.
Borja Jimenez's side have won five, drawn eight and lost 10 of their 23 league games this season to pick up 23 points, and they are only one point clear of 18th-placed Valencia and just two ahead of Alaves in 19th.
El Lega have only picked up 13 points from their 11 home league games during the 2024-25 campaign, but they will be welcoming an Alaves outfit with eight defeats from their 12 La Liga fixtures on their travels.
The reigning Segunda Division champions are bidding to make it back-to-back campaigns in La Liga for the first time since 2020, but Jimenez's team are firmly involved in a relegation battle at this stage of proceedings.
Each of the last four La Liga matches between Leganes and Alaves have finished 1-1, while the points have been shared in five of their last six encounters in the top flight of Spanish football.
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Alaves have never beaten Leganes in La Liga, so there is some history on offer this weekend, with seven of their nine top-flight fixtures finishing level, while Leganes have posted two victories.
The Blue and Whites have a record of five wins, six draws and 12 defeats from their 23 league matches this season, which has left them in 19th spot in the table on 21 points, and they have lost their last two in La Liga to Barcelona and Getafe.
Eduardo Coudet's side picked up four points from their two games against Real Betis and Celta Vigo towards the end of January before performing impressively in a narrow loss to Barcelona at the start of February.
The defeat at home to Getafe last time out was a setback, though, and Alaves simply cannot afford to lose another game against a relegation rival in quick succession, especially ahead of next weekend's clash with Espanyol.
The Basque outfit enjoyed an excellent 2023-24 campaign, finishing in 10th spot in the table, and they are aiming to secure a third straight season at this level of football.
Team News
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Leganes will again be without the services of Enric Franquesa due to a serious knee injury, while Yvan Neyou will miss out through suspension due to the milestone yellow card that he picked up against Valencia.
Seydouba Cisse also needs to be assessed, but the home side will be boosted by the return of Sergio Gonzalez, who was unavailable for selection last time out due to a suspension.
Munir El Haddadi and Miguel de la Fuente could both start for the home side, with the former potentially featuring in a wide area.
As for Alaves, Tomas Conechny could be back in the squad following a concussion, but Jesus Owono remains a doubt.
Head coach Coudet is expected to resist the temptation to shuffle his pack despite the disappointing nature of the result against Getafe, with Toni Martinez and Kike Garcia possibly featuring as the front two.
Carlos Martin and Carlos Vicente should also both be in the XI, with Ander Guevara set to feature in central midfield.
Leganes possible starting lineup:
Dmitrovic; Alti, Rosier, S Gonzalez, Nastasic, Cruz; Raba, Cisse, Brasanac, Munir; De la Fuente
Alaves possible starting lineup:
Sivera; Tenaglia, Abqar, Diarra, M Sanchez; Blanco, Guevara; Vicente, Martin; T Martinez, Kike Garcia
We say: Leganes 0-0 Alaves
All of the signs are pointing towards another low-scoring draw between these two sides; both managers will be desperate to avoid defeat in the relegation six-pointer, and we are backing a goalless draw at Estadio Municipal de Butarque.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
