In desperate need of a win to keep La Liga’s title race alive, Real Madrid head to Vitoria-Gasteiz to face Alavés on Sunday evening.
Less than two months after winning El Clásico, Los Blancos find themselves trailing Barcelona by four points at the top of La Liga. Draws against Rayo Vallecano, Elche and Girona, along with a dismal defeat to Celta Vigo, have alarm bells blaring throughout the Spanish capital.
Real Madrid’s 2–1 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League only worsened the crisis unfolding at the 15-time Champions League winners.
Potentially with his job on the line, Xabi Alonso will hope to rally his team against Eduardo Coudet’s men to break its poor run of form. History is on his side; the Spanish giants are on a seven-game winning streak against Alavés, one they will hope to continue this weekend.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to the game.
What Time Does Alavés vs. Real Madrid Kick Off?
- Location: Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
- Stadium: Campo de Futbol de Mendizorrotza
- Date: Sunday, Dec. 14
- Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. GMT
Alavés vs. Real Madrid Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Alavés: 0 wins
- Real Madrid: 5 wins
- Draws: 0
Current Form (All Competitions)
| Alavés | Real Madrid |
|---|---|
| Alavés 1–0 Real Sociedad - 12/6/25 | Real Madrid 1–2 Man City - 12/10/25 |
| Portugalete 0–3 Alavés - 12/2/25 | Real Madrid 0–2 Celta Vigo - 12/7/25 |
| Barcelona 3–1 Alavés - 11/29/25 | Athletic Club 0–3 Real Madrid - 12/3/25 |
| Alavés 0–1 Celta Vigo - 11/22/25 | Girona 1–1 Real Madrid - 11/30/25 |
| Girona 1–0 Alavés - 11/8/25 | Olympiacos 3–4 Real Madrid - 11/26/25 |
How to Watch Alavés vs. Real Madrid on TV, Live Stream
| Country | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
| United States | ESPN Select, ESPN App, ESPN Deportes, fuboTV |
| United Kingdom | Premier Sports 1 |
| Canada | TSN+ |
| Mexico | Sky+, Sky Sports Mexico |
Alavés Team News
Coudet will be without Nikola Maraš, who is recovering from the ACL injury he suffered in August, and the suspended Facundo Garcés.
Jon Guridi, meanwhile, will undergo a late fitness test after sustaining a knee injury. The midfielder has not featured since Alavés’ 3–0 victory over Portugalete on Tuesday, Dec. 2.
Despite the absentees, the hosts still have their best XI available against Real Madrid. Expect the manager to roll out an unchanged XI from his team’s 1–0 win over Real Sociedad last weekend, with Lucas Boyé tasked with exploiting Real Madrid’s weakened backline.
Alavés Predicted Lineup vs. Real Madrid
Alavés predicted lineup vs. Real Madrid (4-1-4-1): Sivera; Otto, Tenaglia, Pacheco, Parada; Guevara; Calebe, Ibáñez, Suárez, Rebbach; Boyé.
Real Madrid Team News
Real Madrid are sweating over the status of Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman was an unused substitute against Man City due to a muscular injury but Alonso confirmed Mbappé is fit and available for this one, although he refused to reveal what sort of role he can expect to play.
Given Mbappé’s lack of fitness, Gonzalo García is expected to get the nod for a second consecutive game. Endrick would have been in contention, but the Brazilian is suspended for the clash, along with Álvaro Carreras and Fran García, after being sent off last weekend against Celta Vigo.
Also unavailable for the trip to Vitoria-Gasteiz are the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, Ferland Mendy, David Alaba and Eduardo Camavinga. Antonio Rüdiger has travelled but is a doubt, forcing Alonso to once again deploy a makeshift defense that could include the return of Dean Huijsen.
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Alavés
Real Madrid predicted lineup vs. Alavés (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Valverde, Tchouaméni, Asencio, Huijsen; Ceballos, Güler; Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius Junior; G. García.
Alavés vs. Real Madrid Score Prediction
Real Madrid have done little to instill confidence in their ability to secure three points emphatically. Still, the likes of Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo give the visitors the slight edge over 11th-place Alavés.
Coudet’s men, though, have what it takes to test out Los Blancos’ injury-ravaged backline. Thibaut Courtois has kept just two clean sheets in his last seven appearances, and the defense playing in front of him on Sunday night will have a hard job helping him keep another.
Prediction: Alavés 1–2 Real Madrid
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Alaves vs. Real Madrid: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
