Barcelona vs Alaves: La Liga Preview, Form and Key Stats

Barcelona host Alaves in the La Liga on Saturday 31 October, 23:00 (Mecca time). The hosts are 1st in the table and the visitors 7th. This preview uses the season's La Liga results to compare how both sides score, defend and perform at home and away.

Where the two sides stand

Barcelona are 1st on 27 points (goal difference +29) and Alaves are 7th on 12 (+3); Barcelona are 15 points ahead of Alaves. Barcelona lead the table, while Alaves trail the leaders Barcelona by 15.

What is at stake

On points alone (goal difference separates ties, and other results will move the table too): if Barcelona win they reach 30 points, at best 1st; if Alaves win they reach 15, at best 7th. A draw would take Barcelona to 28 (at best 1st) and Alaves to 13 (at best 7th).

Barcelona at home

Barcelona have 4 wins, 0 draws and 1 defeat at home (12 points from 5 games, 2.4 per game), scoring 3.6 and conceding 1.2 per game. They kept 2 clean sheets and failed to score in 0 of those 5.

Current streaks for Barcelona: a goal in each of their last 10.

Alaves away from home

Alaves have 0 wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats away from home (2 points from 4 games, 0.5 per game), scoring 0.75 and conceding 1.25 per game. They kept 1 clean sheet and failed to score in 1 of those 4.

Current streaks for Alaves: 6 games without a win.

Recent form

Barcelona's last 5 results in the La Liga, newest first (opponent position in brackets): 1-2 vs Real Madrid (3rd, L); 5-2 at Real Betis (4th, W); 3-0 vs Getafe (18th, W); 3-1 at Sevilla (6th, W); 7-2 vs Racing Santander (14th, W). That is 12 points from a possible 15, with 19 goals scored and 7 conceded.

Alaves's last 5 results in the La Liga, newest first (opponent position in brackets): 1-1 vs Malaga (20th, D); 1-2 at Celta Vigo (9th, L); 1-2 vs Atletico Madrid (2nd, L); 0-0 at Athletic Club (8th, D); 0-1 vs Valencia (19th, L). That is 2 points from a possible 15, with 3 goals scored and 6 conceded.

Against top-half opponents Barcelona have 3W 0D 1L (2.25 points per game from 4 games); against the bottom half it is 6W 0D 0L (3.0 per game from 6).

Against top-half opponents Alaves have 1W 1D 2L (1.0 points per game from 4 games); against the bottom half it is 2W 2D 2L (1.33 per game from 6).

When the goals come

Barcelona's 38 league goals are spread by minute band, with the most productive spell 76-90 (9 goals); 21 (55%) came after half-time and 9 after the 75th minute. they have conceded most between minutes 16-30 (3 of 13 goals), including 3 after the 75th minute.

Alaves's 14 league goals are spread by minute band, with the most productive spell 76-90 (6 goals); 9 (64%) came after half-time and 6 after the 75th minute. they have conceded most between minutes 46-60 (4 of 11 goals), including 2 after the 75th minute.

Late goals could matter: Barcelona have scored 9 after the 75th minute and Alaves have conceded 2 there, while Alaves have scored 6 and Barcelona have conceded 3. Before half-time, Barcelona have scored 17 and Alaves have conceded 3; Alaves have scored 5 and Barcelona have conceded 6.

Tactics and discipline

Barcelona's most used formations: 4-3-3 (7 games), 4-2-3-1 (3 games).

Alaves's most used formations: 3-5-2 (5 games), 5-3-2 (5 games).

Barcelona have collected 15 yellow and 0 red cards and converted 4 of 5 penalties.

Alaves have collected 17 yellow and 1 red cards and converted 1 of 1 penalties.

Players to watch

Barcelona's players to watch: Raphinha (13 goals and 3 assists in 9 appearances); Lamine Yamal (8 goals and 6 assists in 10 appearances).

Alaves's players to watch: M. Díaz (3 goals and 4 assists in 10 appearances); L. Boyé (5 goals and 0 assists in 9 appearances); Sivera (average rating 7.18).

Head-to-head

In their last 10 meetings Barcelona won 7, Alaves won 1 and 2 were drawn, averaging 2.7 goals per game. Both teams scored in 6 of them and 5 had more than 2.5 goals. The most recent was Alaves 1-0 Barcelona in the La Liga (2026).

Recent meetings, newest first: Alaves 1-0 Barcelona (2026); Barcelona 3-1 Alaves (2025); Barcelona 1-0 Alaves (2025); Alaves 0-3 Barcelona (2024); Alaves 1-3 Barcelona (2024).

Goals outlook

Blending Barcelona's home scoring rate (3.6) with Alaves's away conceding rate (1.25) gives about 2.4 goals for Barcelona; the reverse calculation gives 1.0 for Alaves, a combined 3.4. Both teams scored in 3 of Barcelona's 5 home games and 3 of Alaves's 4 away games, and over 2.5 goals appeared in 4 and 2 of them. These are season-average calculations, not a forecast.

Strengths and weaknesses

Barcelona's strengths: 1st in the league for goals scored (40 goals); 3rd in the league for home points per game (2.40); 1st in the league for away points per game (3.00); 2nd in the league for points from the last five games (12 points).

Alaves's weaker areas: 18th in the league for points from the last five games (2 points).

Our read

On the numbers, recent form favours Barcelona (12 points from the last five against 2). Barcelona collect 2.4 points per home game while Alaves take 0.5 per away game, which tilts the balance toward Barcelona.