Alavés vs Valencia: Hosts Back Themselves in Tuesday Clash

Four consecutive La Liga defeats. Eleven goals conceded in six matches. One solitary point on the board. Valencia are in real trouble right now, and Tuesday's trip to face Deportivo Alavés in matchweek 6 could not have come at a worse time for Los Che. The visitors have shipped goals for fun recently — 5-0 at home to Barcelona, 3-1 at Deportivo A Coruña, 1-0 to Sevilla — and their season is threatening to unravel at pace. Fantasy football managers who backed Valencia early in the campaign are looking very nervous indeed.

Alavés, by contrast, are a side that has found genuine form and momentum. Their last four completed matches in La Liga produced 8 goals scored and 5 conceded — a record of two wins, a draw and a single loss. That recent defeat, 2-1 away at Racing Santander, came on the back of convincing home victories over Osasuna (5-2) and Villarreal (1-0). The hosts have already shown they can put teams to the sword this season, and with 7 points from four matches, there is real confidence running through this group. They travel the same matchweek calendar as any bundesliga or serie a side facing a distressed opponent — the fixture looks kind on paper.

Here's the thing about Valencia's situation: it is not just the results, it is the injury list piling up at the worst moment. Umar Sadiq, their only scorer from our records this season with 1 goal in 2 appearances, is sidelined with a hamstring injury and not expected back until November. Javi Guerra — their most creative central midfielder with 3 key passes in 3 La Liga outings — is out with flu. Defender M. Diakhaby is also absent with a muscle injury. Lose your goal threat, your creative engine and a centre-back all at once and clean sheet football becomes even harder to manufacture. Hugo Duro and Arnaut Danjuma are available up front but neither has managed a goal or assist in their appearances so far this season. That is not a penalty-drawing, chance-creating forward line — that is a group searching desperately for a breakthrough.

There is a school of thought in ligue 1 and la liga circles that a wounded team can occasionally produce a shock, and Valencia have shown a draw is not beyond them — they managed one in their opening six. But you'd be forgiven for thinking Tuesday's visit to Alavés is another mountain to climb rather than a platform for revival. The hosts have the firepower, the home advantage and the psychological edge that comes from winning recent matches. Valencia need goals from players who haven't been delivering them, in a match preview that frankly offers very little comfort to the away end. Alavés are the right side to be on here.