Alaves vs Villarreal Prediction: BTTS a Good Friday Night La Liga Bet

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Despite a miserable showing in this season's Champions League, Villarreal are firmly on course to qualify for the competition again next term. They'll hold a 14-point advantage on Real Betis in fifth if they can see off Alavés on Friday night. 

This is a much more important game for the home team in truth, with the Basques just two points outside the relegation zone. They are on a six-game winless run in all competitions, but have been fortunate that the sides below them have also found it almost impossible to put three points on the board in recent weeks. 

Alavés' campaign took an unexpected twist earlier this month, with their coach Chacho Coudet leaving to take charge of River Plate in his native Argentina. The 51-year-old had done a solid job overall at Mendizorrotza, with his team showing enough to suggest they would go on to secure safety. 

The club responded by swiftly appointing Quique Sánchez Flores as his replacement. This is the 14th job of the well-travelled Spaniard's managerial career, and he has previously coached in La Liga with Getafe, Valencia, Atlético Madrid, Espanyol and Sevilla. In theory, the experienced coach is a safe pair of hands, although he hasn't exactly set the world on fire in his most recent roles. 

The new era at Alavés looked set for a bright beginning, with the Babazorros leading 2-1 heading into the 90th minute at Mestalla last weekend. However, Valencia fought back to win thanks to two late goals, with a controversial penalty that was finally converted in the 99th minute leading to two red cards as the visitors protested. 

It doesn't get any easier as Sánchez Flores takes charge of his first home game against Villarreal. Marcelino's side no longer have any cup distractions, so their sole remaining objective is to pick up enough points to secure a Champions League place. 

While they've been found badly lacking against the best teams, the Yellow Submarine have consistently seen off the weaker sides in La Liga. The last few weeks have been typical of their season as a whole, with three victories from their last four matches coming against the struggling trio of Levante, Valencia and Elche. Their other fixture during that period ended in a heavy 4-1 loss against Barcelona. 

Marcelino will still reflect on a positive campaign if they do go on to seal a top-four place, which looks highly probable. The club usually does smart business in the transfer market, and another year at Europe's elite level should leave them in a strong position to bolster their squad ahead of the 2026/27 season. 

Two of last summer's main purchases have delivered in the final third this term. Alberto Moleiro has scored nine goals and registered four assists from the left flank, with the 22-year-old one of the standout young players in Spain right now. Record-signing Georges Mikautadze has also done a solid job of leading the line, with a healthy average of a goal every 182 minutes in La Liga. 

Team News: 

Jon Pacheco and Ander Guevara are suspended for Alavés as a result of those late red cards at Valencia. Carlos Benavidez is the only fitness concern for the home team. 

Sánchez Flores continued with Coudet's 4-4-2 system in his first match. However, he has often used a 3-5-2 in previous roles, and may consider switching to that formation. Either way, Lucas Boyé and Toni Martínez should continue to lead the line. 

Villarreal are missing four players for the trip to the Basque Country. Logan Costa, Juan Foyth, Ayoze Pérez and Pau Cabanes are all carrying injuries. 

Fierce strikes from right-sided duo Tajon Buchanan and Santiago Mouriño sealed a 2-1 win against Elche last time out. While it wasn't an entirely convincing performance, Marcelino could stick with the same lineup on Friday night.