Alaves hosts struggling Valencia in La Liga Round 6

Deportivo Alaves hosts Valencia on September 15 at Estadio de Mendizorroza in Vitoria, Spain, in a La Liga Round 6 fixture with sharply contrasting stakes for each side. Alaves, currently fourth in the table with 10 points from five matches (3 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss), enters as strong favorites. Valencia sits last with just 1 point and has lost four consecutive league matches while scoring only one goal across five games.

Valencia is in institutional upheaval following a disastrous start to the season. The club sacked manager Carlos Corberán and CEO of Football Ron Gourlay this week. Interim coach Oscar Sánchez will take charge for this match, while Braulio Vázquez has been appointed as the new director of football. Valencia's squad is also depleted by injuries: Umar Sadiq, César Tarrega, Dimitri Foulquier, and Mouctar Diakhaby are all unavailable. The club faces a toxic atmosphere after a 5-0 home defeat to Barcelona earlier this month sparked supporter protests and calls for boycotts from club legend Santiago Cañizares.

Alaves, by contrast, are in strong form. Manager Quique Sánchez Flores has his side playing with confidence, bolstered by a 5-2 victory over Osasuna last weekend. Lucas Boyé leads the attack with 4 goals (tied for eighth in La Liga), and Mariano Díaz adds 4 goals and 3 assists. At home, Alaves have won all three matches at Mendizorroza this season. However, Alaves enter without defenders Mikel Rodríguez and Aitor Mañas, both unavailable.

Statistically, the gap is stark. Alaves have scored 11 goals while conceding 5 (goal differential +6, third in the league). Valencia have managed only 1 goal while conceding 10 (goal differential -9, 20th in the league). Betting odds heavily favor Alaves, with moneyline odds of -157 to Valencia's +468.

The match kicks off at 2:00 PM ET / 15:00 Brazil time. In the United States, the game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (accessible via ESPN with a Fubo account). In Brazil, streaming will be available on Disney+, with ESPN also broadcasting the match.