Alaves vs Mallorca prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2024-10-31 20:00.
[p]Now without a point across the last five La Liga rounds following a 1-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano last weekend, AlavĂ©s are officially enduring their longest losing run in the top-flight since 2021. Current boss LuĂs GarcĂa contributed to that rot three years ago with a 1-0 win as manager of Mallorca, in a season which perhaps forebodingly saw AlavĂ©s sack their manager by Christmas and go on to finish within touching distance of being relegated.[/p]
[p]Fast forward to 2024 and GarcĂa enters this clash with his side collapsing to concede six times across back-to-back home league losses. Only twice in the last seven years have AlavĂ©s lost three consecutive home league games, so the expectation may well be a resurgent result which would justify their favourites tag, although that’s not something they’ve coped well with at any venue in league action this term (W2, D1, L2). [/p]
[p]Looking to put another dent in AlavĂ©s’ record are Jagoba Arrasate’s Mallorca, who currently sit on the peripheries of the European places in what is comfortably their strongest start to a top-flight season in over 20 years. The visitors have achieved that whilst losing just once as pre-match outsiders (W2, D1, L1) – only Osasuna have won more such games ahead of this round.[/p]
[p]Another reason for away confidence is the fact that Arrasate has faced GarcĂa more often than any other manager without ever losing (W4, D1) with one of those games actually coming against Mallorca, whilst four saw his side score at least twice. Doing so again would fit Mallorca’s trajectory, as only two sides have picked up more points on the road so far (W3, L2), whilst three wins in their last four league trips is as many as they’d managed in their 32 prior. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: AlavĂ©s’ Kike GarcĂa struck in stoppage time before being sent off against in his side’s last home game against Valladolid, but each of his three goals this season have arrived in defeats for his side. For Mallorca, veteran midfielder Dani RodrĂguez has had a hand in half of their league goals this term (G2, A3), whilst five of his last six goals have arrived before half-time.  [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Alavés have lost half of their league games when scoring first this season (W2, L2). [/p]
[p][i]Written by Matthew Billon[/i][/p]