Real Madrid Face Deportivo Alaves: Key Predictions, Tactical Breakdown, and Expected Lineups

Real Madrid take on Deportivo Alavés desperately seeking their first April victory, following a brutal stretch that has pushed the club to the edge of a silverware-free campaign.

A gut-wrenching Champions League quarterfinal exit at the hands of Bayern Munich came wedged between Los Blancos' 2–1 loss to Mallorca and a 1–1 stalemate with Girona in La Liga. Consequently, Álvaro Arbeloa's men now trail league-leaders Barcelona by nine points with only seven matchdays remaining.

Unless their fierce rivals suffer a dramatic collapse, Madrid appear destined to finish the season without any major silverware, setting the stage for a summer of reflection and—very likely—significant upheaval.

Before that, however, Madrid must focus on closing out the season as impressively as possible and should, at the very minimum, make Barça earn their title.

Speaking on the eve of Tuesday's fixture, Arbeloa stressed that Madrid still have "seven games to win", beginning with the home clash against relegation-threatened Alavés.

Real Madrid vs. Deportivo Alavés Score Prediction

Madrid Bounce Back With First Victory in April

Madrid's campaign has been riddled with careless domestic results in the immediate aftermath of their European commitments. It has become the defining narrative of the second half of their league season under Arbeloa.

After Barcelona stumbled with a loss to Girona in February, Madrid—distracted by their Champions League play-off against Benfica—responded with consecutive defeats to Osasuna and Getafe. Similarly, a thrilling 3–2 derby triumph last month and the opportunity to apply pressure in La Liga was quickly undermined by the letdowns against Mallorca and Girona.

With seven matches left and European football no longer a distraction, Madrid must be flawless if they are to have any realistic chance of reeling in Barça.

17th-placed Alavés are battling desperately to preserve their top-flight status. They are unbeaten across their last four matches (netting ten goals) under new manager Quique Sánchez Flores and will not be easy opponents.

Prediction: Real Madrid 3–2 Deportivo Alavés

Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Deportivo Alavés

With European ambitions now firmly behind them, Arbeloa will face less pressure to juggle his squad carefully when it comes to player management.

In principle, the coach has a largely complete squad available heading into Tuesday, with only Raúl Asencio (who had a brief hospital stay due to a stomach complaint) joining long-term absentees Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo on the sidelines. That said, some rotation is still expected.

The defensive unit could undergo the most notable reshuffling, with club skipper Dani Carvajal and Dean Huijsen potentially in contention for starting roles after being left out of the Champions League defeat in Munich.

Real Madrid predicted lineup vs. Deportivo Alavés (4-4-2): Lunin; Carvajal, Militão, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Bellingham, Tchouameni, Güler; Mbappé, Vinícius Jr.

Deportivo Alavés Predicted Lineup vs. Real Madrid

Quique has injected fresh optimism into Alavés and has guided the Basque outfit to a four-game unbeaten run—though with just a single victory—as they sit one point clear of the relegation places.

Defender Facundo Garcés and winger Abde Rebbach are both suspended for this match, while Carlos Protesoni remains the visitors' sole injury concern.

Lucas Boye has been among La Liga's standout attackers, registering six goals in his last seven outings. However, he has recently been deployed as a substitute for Alavés.

Deportivo Alavés predicted lineup vs Real Madrid (5-3-2): Sivera; Pérez, Otto, Tenaglia, Parada, Enríquez; Ibánez, Blanco, Guridi; Martínez, Diabate

What Time Does Real Madrid vs. Deportivo Alavés Kick Off?

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