Koeman gone: Can Barça break free?
It’s game one for Ronald Koeman. The Dutchman was still sacked on Wednesday night after FC Barcelona’s defeat at Rayo Vallecano, but Barça do not have much time to come to terms with this defeat.
Spain’s La Liga continues on Saturday at 9 pm with a home match against Deportivo Alaves. In this match, interim coach Sergi Barjuan will be on the sidelines instead of Koeman – but a win is still a must, of course.
After Koeman’s sacking, will Barça manage to break free against the Basques? The oddsmakers think that is very likely, as the odds on Barcelona vs. Alaves make clear. Barça are the clear favourites to take the three points, despite the crisis.
Only an average of 1.30 is offered if you bet on a home win for Barcelona against Alaves; there are a few reasons to take a risk and not bet on the favourites, who have been in trouble all season and are now facing an opponent who will travel to Camp Nou full of confidence.
Barcelona – Statistics & current form
Two defeats against teams from Madrid resulted in a coaching dismissal. After FC Barcelona lost 1:2 against arch-rivals Real Madrid in the Clasico last weekend, they also suffered a bitter 0:1 defeat at promoted Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish capital on Wednesday evening.
After this defeat, those responsible around President Joan Laporta pulled the ripcord. On Thursday night, Barça announced the dismissal of coach Ronald Koeman. On Saturday against Alaves, Sergi Barjuan, who actually coaches Barça B’s second team, will sit on the bench on an interim basis “until a new coach has been found”, according to the club.
Koeman gone – is there an act of defiance or is Barcelona’s crisis deepening?
Turbulent days in Catalonia, then, which naturally raise the question ahead of the clash with Alaves: How will the team react to the Koeman exit? Will there be a liberating blow now that Koeman’s alibi is no longer there, or will Barça sink even deeper into the crisis?
Despite two defeats in four days and three defeats in four league games, the betting odds on Barcelona vs. Alaves are surprisingly clearly in favour of the Blaugrana. 1.30 odds on a home win, that sounds like business as usual before a home match of the Catalan big club.
Anyone who only pays attention to odds in the three-way before the Barça vs. Alaves match, without knowing what is basically going on at the club, would hardly get the idea of how FC Barcelona is doing.
There has already been a home defeat and a draw in what is actually the fortress Camp Nou. In view of this situation of the Blaugrana, you should at least consider betting on the double chance X2 for Barcelona vs. Alaves – because the value on this is considerable.
Predicted line-up of Barcelona:
Ter Stegen – Mingueza, Piqué, Garcia, Alba – Busquets, Gavi, Gonzalez, Coutiho – Depay, Agüero
Last matches played by Barcelona:
LaLiga
10/27 2021 – Rayo Vallecano 1 – 0 Barcelona
10/24 2021 – Barcelona 1 – 2 Real Madrid
Champions League Grp. E
10/20 2021 – Barcelona 1 – 0 Dynamo Kiev
LaLiga
10/17 2021 – Barcelona 3 – 1 Valencia
10/02 2021 – Atletico Madrid 2 – 0 Barcelona
Alaves – Statistics & current form
Also looking at the form of the visitors, you should consider a prediction on Barcelona vs. Alaves for another slip-up by the favourites, because: Alaves come to the Camp Nou full of self-confidence. While Barça suffered two defeats in the English week, the Basques celebrated two enormously important victories in a row within four days.
Last Saturday, Alaves achieved their first away win of the season, winning 2-0 in Cadiz. On Tuesday, they followed this up with a 1-0 home win over league rivals Elche on matchday 11.
Two wins in a row: Alaves boost confidence ahead of trip to Camp Nou
Two wins, twice to nil – Alaves have left the relegation places as a result, currently ranking 16th. This makes the disastrous start to the season with five defeats in the first five match days a thing of the past and provides the necessary self-confidence before the difficult journey to the Camp Nou.
So there are good reasons to have confidence in Alaves in Catalonia. And yet it must be noted that only one team currently scores fewer goals than Alaves (five goals in the season): the winless bottom team Getafe has even scored one goal less than the Basques.
So, although Alaves are a stronger team again, they are also a rather harmless opponent at the Camp Nou. Nevertheless, any opponent can be expected to do a lot against this Barcelona at the moment.
Predicted line-up of Alaves:
Pacheco – Navarro, Laguardia, Lejeune, Duarte – Pina, Loum, Pellistri, Pons, Rioja – Joselu
Last matches played by Alaves:
LaLiga
10/26 2021 – Deportivo Alaves 1 – 0 Elche
10/23 2021 – Cadiz 0 – 2 Deportivo Alaves
10/18 2021 – Deportivo Alaves 0 – 1 Real Betis
Club friendlies
10/08 2021 – Osasuna Pamplona 2 – 1 Deportivo Alaves
LaLiga
10/01 2021 – Athletic Bilbao 1 – 0 Deportivo Alaves
Barcelona – Alaves Direct comparison / H2H-Balance
Really, Alaves will not be encouraged by looking at the statistics against the Catalans: Barcelona have won nine of their last ten games, Alaves have managed to wrestle a draw from the Blaugrana once during that span, last season at home, when they drew 1-1 at Estadio Mendizorrotza.
The Basques’ last away win dates back to the 2016/17 season, when there was a 2-1 at Camp Nou.
Barcelona – Alaves Tip
The coach is gone, the question that reflexively arises after a coaching sacking is traditionally: is there a coaching change to marvel at? Even though Barcelona have yet to unveil a new coach – interim coach Barjuan is taking over for now – the team can still look liberated, of course.
We believe in this liberation – three defeats in a row in La Liga, plus two at the Camp Nou – are simply unbelievably difficult to imagine. However, with the visitors in good form, a defensive approach and Barça in crisis, it could be tough for Barça. Our prediction before Barcelona vs. Alaves is: A draw at half-time, Barça will win in the end.
