Basque side Alavés are fighting for survival, while Barcelona, already crowned La Liga champions, have their sights set on reaching 100 points and securing individual accolades like the Zamora and Pichichi trophies. The Catalan giants travel to Mendizorrotza still riding the high of winning their 29th league title, but with three games remaining, they remain motivated by historic milestones yet to be achieved.
Hansi Flick’s men aim to become only the third team in history to finish a season with 100 points, following Real Madrid under José Mourinho in 2011-12 and Barcelona under Tito Vilanova in 2012-13. Beyond the team goal, personal ambitions drive the players. Goalkeeper Joan García is in contention for the Zamora Trophy with a goals-against average of 0.69 per game, just ahead of Thibaut Courtois (0.90). Meanwhile, Ferran Torres, with 16 goals, is chasing the Pichichi award, tied with the injured Lamine Yamal and closely pursued by Mikel Oyarzabal and Borja Iglesias.
Flick, who has secured a contract extension, will field a competitive lineup but rotate from the Clásico victory due to fatigue and the upcoming match against Betis at Spotify Camp Nou. Players like Jules Koundé, Ronald Araújo, Alejandro Balde, Frenkie de Jong, and Marc Bernal are expected to feature against Quique Sánchez Flores’ Alavés.
Alavés, having lost to Athletic Bilbao 10 days ago, need a win at a sold-out Mendizorrotza to climb out of the relegation zone. They have not beaten Barcelona in 25 years, and defensive woes persist—they have conceded in 20 consecutive league games. Manager Quique Sánchez Flores welcomes back Álex Aleña from suspension, but the backline remains a question mark, with recent experiments using full-backs as center-backs exposing height issues.