Alaves vs Real Madrid preview: Los Blancos vying for La Liga top spot with Barca

Real Madrid’s recent run of form will be put to the test when Zinedine Zidane’s side travel to Mendizorrotza on Saturday lunchtime to take on Alavés as they seek to move to the top of the table for the first time since match week eight and apply some pressure on Barcelona.

TEAM NEWS

Alaves: Victor Laguardia returns from suspension for the hosts and should partner Rodrigo Ely at centre-back.

Manu Garcia is also available after a ban and will slot into a midfield three alongside Tomas Pina and Mubarak Wakaso.

Luis Rioja and Oliver Burke are unlikely to figure from the start for Alaves.

Real Madrid: Zidane will be without long-term absentee Marco Asensio, James Rodríguez, Eden Hazard and Lucas Vázquez, with question marks over the fitness of Raphaël Varane for the trip. 

In good news for the Madrid boss, versatile defender Nacho is set to make his return to the squad after a ligament injury. 

Gareth Bale should get the nod on the left in the absence of Hazard with Toni Kroos set to be handed a rest as Fede Valverde, Casemiro and Luka Modric form the midfield three.

Ferland Mendy will likely deputise for Marcelo after a decent display last weekend against Real Sociedad.

Predicted LINE-UPS

Head to Head Record

Unsurprisingly, Real have dominated this fixture in recent times - winning seven of the last eight meetings between the pair.

However, Alaves did come out on top in the corresponding fixture last season, a stoppage-time winner from Garcia gifting El Glorioso a 1-0 win in October 2018. 

Saturday's visitors would get their revenge in the reverse fixture later on in the season though - as goals from Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior and Mariano helped Real to a 3-0 win.

Alaves' win last season was in fact their first over the Real since 2000.

Prediction

Despite Alaves' clean bill of health and their resurgence in the past two weeks, it's hard to go against this Real Madrid side when you look at the way they've played over the past month.

Madrid have started to score for fun as a result of Benzema's incredible form in front of goal and it wouldn't be surprising to see their talisman add a couple to his tally on Saturday. 

Alaves won't make it easy, however, and there should be goals at either end.

Prediction: Alaves 1-2 Real Madrid

Matchday(CET)