Racing De Santander vs Alaves

Racing de Santander vs Alaves Preview

Racing de Santander are back in La Liga after what feels like forever, and the first few weeks have been a decent enough baptism into life at the top table again. Four points from four games, sitting 13th, and nobody’s panicking down on the north coast. But Saturday lunchtime brings a very different kind of test. Alaves roll into town sitting second in the division, having hit the ground running in a way that absolutely nobody saw coming given how close they came to dropping out of the top flight just a few months ago. This one has the makings of a proper mismatch on paper, even if El Sardinero can make it feel very different in practice.

Jose Alberto Lopez’s side have had some encouraging moments, but they come into this on the back of a 3-2 defeat to Rayo Vallecano, which is exactly the kind of result you don’t want heading into a home game against one of the form teams in the division. They scored twice, showed a bit of character, but still came away empty-handed. Bounce-back performance territory now, and on their own patch, that’s at least something to work with. Racing’s fans will make plenty of noise, and if the home side can get themselves into the game early, there’s something to play for here.

Alaves, though, arrive with a level of momentum that is genuinely hard to argue with. Ten points from four games, ten goals scored, only three conceded, and a squad that looks genuinely well-drilled under Quique Sanchez Flores. This is a side that finished 14th last season by the skin of their teeth, and now they’re rubbing shoulders with Barcelona at the top of the table. Whether they can keep this up over a full season is a fair question, but right now, they look like a seriously dangerous away side.

Racing de Santander vs Alaves Form

Let’s be honest about where Racing are at. A draw with Villarreal on the opening day was a decent result, the kind that makes you think they can hold their own. Then came a loss to Getafe, which was a bit more concerning given Getafe are not exactly playing champagne football. The 3-2 win over Elche gave everyone a lift and suggested the front line could hurt people, with Yassir Zabiri looking like a real handful in his first full La Liga campaign. But then Rayo came along and exposed the defensive vulnerabilities again. Conceding three goals at home is not the platform you want to build a season on, and Lopez will know that shipping soft goals at this level will keep you in the wrong half of the table.

Alaves are a completely different story. Their season opened with a 3-0 thumping of Getafe, then came a draw with Rayo Vallecano which you could chalk up as a blip, but since then they’ve beaten Villarreal 1-0 and then absolutely demolished Osasuna 5-2. That Osasuna result in particular tells you something about the firepower they carry. Lucas Boye has four goals in just three appearances, which is a terrifying return at any level. Mariano Diaz, at 33 and written off by most people during his stint at various clubs, has somehow rediscovered his best form with three goals and three assists already this term. Sanchez Flores has clearly got these players believing in something.

The form table is stark. Alaves are on a two-game winning streak with nine goals in those two games alone. Racing have won once in four and were beaten by a side who themselves had been struggling. The trajectory of both clubs heading into this fixture could not be more different, and it is very hard to make a case for Racing based purely on what we have seen over the opening month of the season.

Racing de Santander vs Alaves Head to Head

These two clubs have met 48 times over the years, and Racing actually lead the historical head-to-head with 19 wins to Alaves’ 16, with 13 draws making up the rest. But history only gets you so far, and the context around those numbers matters. The last time they faced each other was January 2023, when Alaves won 3-0, and that result came outside of the top flight. Go back to their last La Liga meeting, and you’re looking at February 2006, which finished 2-2. So this is essentially a top-flight renewal of a rivalry that has been dormant at this level for two decades.

The fact that Alaves won that most recent encounter 3-0 is worth flagging. That was convincing, not a narrow result that flattered them. And this current Alaves side looks considerably sharper than any version they’ve put out in recent years. Racing will take heart from the fact that El Sardinero can be a difficult place to go, and they have a reasonable head-to-head record across their entire history, but in terms of current form and quality, the recent evidence firmly favours the visitors.

Racing de Santander vs Alaves Lineups

Racing have one notable absentee in Andres Martin, who misses out through a knee injury, but Lopez should otherwise have a full squad to choose from. Jorge Salinas at left-back is a genuinely exciting player at this level, someone who attracted interest from Manchester United and Barcelona over the summer before opting to stay with the club. His delivery and ability to get forward could be one of Racing’s main weapons. Zabiri leads the line and will be full of confidence after three goals in four league games. The lineup of Agirrezabala in goal, with a back four of Mantilla, Hernando, Gonzalez and Salinas, and Canales pulling strings in behind Zabiri, looks settled and organised enough.

Alaves come into this with two injury concerns of their own. Toni Martinez is out with a foot injury and Mikel Rodriguez is sidelined with an ankle problem, but beyond that, Sanchez Flores should be able to name an unchanged side from the one that tore Osasuna apart last time out. Boye and Diaz together in attack is a genuinely frightening combination at this level, and with Alena and Blanco offering quality through the middle, Alaves have creativity and directness in abundance. The absences are worth noting but they don’t fundamentally weaken what is a very strong-looking squad in depth.

Racing de Santander vs Alaves Tactics

Racing under Lopez tend to be organised and hard to play through, sitting in a mid-block and looking to transition quickly when they win the ball. Salinas offers width and a genuine attacking threat on the left, while Zabiri’s movement and pace up top means they can hurt sides on the counter if they’re given room to run. The problem is that their defensive record is already showing cracks, and Alaves are exactly the kind of high-tempo, forward-thinking side that can exploit a back four that doesn’t communicate well under pressure. Racing will likely try to keep it compact and make the game difficult, hoping that home support drives them into the game early.

Alaves under Sanchez Flores are pressing high, defending as a unit, and getting the ball wide quickly to create overloads. Boye is a relentless runner who drags defenders out of shape, while Diaz is smart enough to find the pockets of space that creates. Rebbach and Perez on the flanks give them plenty of width and the ability to whip balls into dangerous areas. If Racing try to sit deep and contain, Alaves have the technical quality to pick them apart through the lines. If Racing push forward to try and play on the front foot, they risk leaving space in behind for Boye and Diaz to exploit on the counter. Either way, Alaves have the tactical answers to what Racing are likely to throw at them.

Racing de Santander vs Alaves Prediction and Betting Tips

Racing will make this competitive for a period, and Zabiri’s form means you’d never completely rule out the home side nicking something. El Sardinero adds something to their game, and Lopez’s side are not a pushover. But Alaves are playing with a level of confidence and clinical finishing right now that is genuinely difficult to stop, and this fixture sets up perfectly for them to keep the good times rolling on the road. The quality gap between second place and 13th place is real, and it will show on the pitch.

We’re backing Alaves to win this and to score more than once in doing so. The visitors have found the net in every game this season, their forward line is in rampant form, and Racing have conceded six goals in their last two matches. Back Alaves with both teams to score — Racing showed against Rayo and Elche that they can get on the scoresheet, and Zabiri in particular looks dangerous enough to make this more than one-sided. The market is Match Result and BTTS, the pick is Away Win and Yes.