Preview: Alaves vs Real Oviedo - prediction, team news, lineups

On Sunday, Alaves will welcome Real Oviedo to Mendizorroza for their first La Liga outing of the calendar year.

The Basque hosts start 2026 in 14th spot in the Spanish top flight, while the visitors are down in 19th position.

Match preview

Alaves may have been grateful for the short winter break, giving them time to reset after losing five of their final six league games of 2025.

Eduardo Coudet’s side ended a three-game losing league run with a narrow 1-0 success against Real Sociedad on December 6.

However, they were unable to build upon that result in their next two La Liga outings, losing 2-1 to Real Madrid and 3-0 against Osasuna, either side of a 1-0 win over Sevilla in the Copa del Rey.

Having taken 18 points from 17 matches, Alaves have picked up two more points than at the same stage of last season’s campaign, although they will be nervously looking over their shoulder with three points separating them from the bottom three.

Alaves may fancy their chances of taking maximum points from their first outing of 2026, having won four of their previous seven competitive home games (D1, L2).

El Glorioso have also won each of their previous five home games against Oviedo, including a 2-1 success in their most recent encounter at Mendizorroza in the Segunda Division in October 2022.

After waiting 24 years for top-flight football, Oviedo’s long-awaited return to La Liga has quickly turned into a nightmare due to poor results and uninspiring managerial appointments.

Promotion-winning manager Veljko Paunovic was dismissed after just eight league games and replaced by Luis Carrion, who was an unpopular appointment due to the manner in which he ended his first spell in the summer of 2024.

Carrion oversaw four draws and four defeats in eight La Liga matches before he was replaced by Guillermo Almada, who left his role at second-tier Real Valladolid to take on his first La Liga job.

Almada has significant work to do to convince the fanbase, considering he had a mixed record with Valladolid in the Segunda Division and has mainly got the job due to his previous work with Pachuca, whose owners are the majority stakeholders in Oviedo.

The 56-year-old started his tenure with a goalless draw against Celta Vigo before the winter break, extending Oviedo’s winless run to 10 league matches.

The Asturian outfit are the league’s lowest scorers with seven goals, highlighting a key area for improvement if they are to have any hope of closing the five-point gap to safety.

Alaves La Liga form:

L L L W L L

Alaves form (all competitions):

L W W L W L

Real Oviedo La Liga form:

L D L D L D

Team News

Alaves striker Lucas Boye sat out the defeat to Osasuna before the winter break and remains a doubt for the first fixture of the new year.

Defender Victor Parada will serve a one-match ban after picking up his fifth yellow card of the league season.

Youssef Enriquez is set to take Parada’s left-back spot, while winger Carlos Vicente could also come into the starting lineup.

As for Oviedo, they are likely to be without the services of Nacho Vidal, Ovie Ejaria and Alvaro Lemos.

Angola international David Carmo should be available for selection following his return from the Africa Cup of Nations.

Haissem Hassan is pushing for a recall if Almada decides to alter the side that started the goalless draw against Celta before Christmas.

Alaves possible starting lineup:

Sivera; Otto, Tenaglia, Pacheca, Yousseff; Ibanez, Blanco; Vincente, Suarez, Rebbach, Martinez

Real Oviedo possible starting lineup:

Escandell; Ahijado, Costas, Bailly, Alhassane; Colombatto, Sibo; Hassan, Reina, Chaira; Vinas

We say: Alaves 1-0 Real Oviedo

Sunday's game will see the La Liga's lowest scorers in Oviedo face the league's fourth-lowest scorers in Alaves, so we are not expecting this match to produce a raft of goals.

Alaves have needed just one goal to win two of their last three competitive home games, and we think they could repeat that feat to get the better of their struggling opponents.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.