The 2019/20 La Liga season begins this weekend with games spread across three days. There are four matches in total on Sunday and the first of those is between Deportivo Alaves and Levante UD. The game will be played at the Estadio de Mendizorroza and both teams will believe it gives them a chance to get off the mark with a win.
Deportivo Alaves were looking good for a European place midway through last season but they could not hold their good form and dropped away. Trends show they won only one of their last ten league games and lost six, which was not good enough to remain in the top half of the table, eventually finishing in 11th place.
Results in preseason have been mixed for Deportivo Alaves and they have won four of their eight matches. The wins have come over Leioa, Albacete, Racing Santander and Real Oviedo, the latter of which was their final preseason friendly.
Home form was disappointing towards the end of last season. Deportivo Alaves won just one of their final eight home games in La Liga and that was their final home match of the season against Girona.
Defensively Deportivo Alaves need to improve having failed to keep a clean sheet in their last thirteen games last season and both teams have scored in six of their last eight.
Levante UD had a similar 2018/19 campaign to their opponents, which started with a great promise only to fade away. They ended the season down in 15th place, with 44 points, 7 points clear of the relegation zone and 6 points adrift of Deportivo Alaves.
During the summer, Levante UD have played eight games and have done well in some of them, winning four. They have remained undefeated in their last four preseason matches, drawing with Huesca and Brest plus defeating Elche and Mallorca.
Levante UD went undefeated in five of their last six games in the 2018/19 La Liga season but their away form was not great. Trends show they have won just two of their last fourteen league games on the road and have lost eight of their last eleven away La Liga matches.
In addition, Levante UD have seen over 2.5 goals scored in nine of their last ten La Liga games and both teams have scored in nine of their last eleven.
Team news and new Deportivo Alaves manager Asier Garitano could hand debuts to several players in midfield and attack. Joselu and Lucas Perez could start up-front with Luis Rioja and Aleix Vidal in the wide attacking positions.
Levante UD could also hand a couple of players their debut in this game. Ruben Vezo and Sergio Leon who have joined from Valencia and Real Betis respectively are expected to feature from the off.
This could be a very entertaining game to begin the Sunday fixtures in La Liga this week. Both teams should score goals but given Levante UD’s away record at the end of last season we could see a home win.