Alaves vs Real Madrid prediction 21.12.2023

• Competition: La Liga
• Date: Thursday, 21st December 2023
• Kickoff: 20:30 UTC / 21:30 CET
• Venue: Estadio Mendizorrotza (Vitoria-Gasteiz)

Alaves narrowly missed out on direct promotion to La Liga last season, falling short by just one point and having to secure their spot through the playoffs. Despite a less than stellar start to this year’s season, they managed to pull together a series of strong results in November and early December, largely against weaker opponents, which allowed them to amass some much-needed points. Currently, they sit in 13th place, which might appear better than it truly is, as they are a mere three points ahead of Celta Vigo, who sit in 18th place and the danger zone.

Last season, Real Madrid only managed to clinch the Copa del Rey, a result that was unsatisfactory for a team of its caliber. They made minor changes to their squad during the summer, but the signing of Jude Bellingham proved to be a masterstroke, providing the missing element they lacked last year. This season, despite grappling with injuries, Los Blancos are performing excellently, and without much trouble, they secured the knockout phase after topping group C, alongside Napoli, Braga, and Union Berlin, with a perfect record of six wins. In La Liga, they are currently in 2nd place, just two points behind leaders Girona and seven points clear of 3rd-placed Barcelona. While the season is still young, it appears that the title race will be primarily between Girona and Real Madrid.

Alaves vs Real Madrid pick: Real Madrid to win and over 2.5 Goals

Despite having a few decent games recently, Alaves has struggled this season, losing nine out of 17 matches. However, these victories were only against the lower-ranking teams in the league. They’ve also suffered consecutive losses to Girona and Las Palmas, failing to score in their last three La Liga matches. Offense is a significant issue for Alaves, as they hold the worst record in La Liga with only 14 goals from 17 games, averaging 0.82 per game. They face a daunting challenge scoring against the league’s top defense.

This season, Real Madrid are displaying excellent performance, securing victories in 19 out of 23 games, a remarkable 83% win rate. They have shown competence on both the offensive and defensive ends of the pitch throughout the season. However, their offensive prowess appears to be improving as the season advances, with a tally of 25 goals in their recent eight games. This translates to an astonishing average of 3.125 goals per game!

Real Madrid emerged as winners in six out of the last seven head-to-head games. Of these six victories, five were achieved with a goal difference of two or more.

Taking into account all factors, we anticipate a solid victory for Real Madrid at Estadio Mendizorrotza.