Alavés looks forward with optimism. The restorative triumph in the derby against Athletic has reinforced his confidence in the method of Pablo Machin. In the final stretch of the national team break, he faces with motivation this Sunday's game against Elche, the first against a direct rival. Having forgotten the bad run of results in his stadium, he now wants to strengthen himself in Mendizorrotza to achieve permanence in the First Division for the fifth consecutive season.
As seen in the last friendly against Osasuna last week, the soriano coach has managed to keep all his players motivated. Some fight to maintain their starting status. The rest, to win a place in the eleven or to convince the coach that they have a place in this team.
Despite the significant defense problems facing the stake, the team hopes to extend the good path started against the lions. Since June 18, the day they beat Real Sociedad in the first game at home after confinement (2-0), almost three and a half months of nightmare have passed until, on October 4, they met again with the triumph in his stadium. Athletic, another Basque team, was the rival against whom the disastrous series was closed (1-0).
Unable to dial
In that period, six appearances in Mendizorrotza were presided over by disappointment – four in the past academic year and two in the current one. Two draws, both scoreless against Getafe, and four defeats broke the condition of the Albiazul stadium as a stronghold and put the team on the ropes.
In the past year, the visits of Osasuna (0-1), Granada (0-2), Getafe (0-0) and F.C. Barcelona (0-5) -the latter already with guaranteed permanence, were part of a disastrous run of results after the confinement that put the team on the edge of the abyss and triggered the dismissal of Asier Garitano. Alavés had to beat Betis on the penultimate matchday (1-2), to be able to breathe easy.
Already this season, Betis (0-1) and Getafe (0-0) lengthened the agony. Luckily, against Athletic this negative series was broken, with 540 minutes without scoring at home included, which placed the Albiazules in the relegation zone in a start to competition with a complicated calendar.
In construction
This centenary Alavés continues in a delicate situation, but in front of the rojiblancos he exhibited details for hope. In a good second half he created several scoring chances – almost as many as in the first four days – and completed his good work with a defensive solidity that, for the first time in this league, allowed him to keep a clean sheet. It had a lot to do with it Fernando Pacheco. The Badajoz slowly recovers the extraordinary level with which he has earned the nickname of San Fernando.
This team is still in the process of construction. The staff is adapting to the methodology of Pablo Machin and, in turn, the technician is finding a way to exploit its resources.
Among other things, the Soriano must define the place where the last two incorporations fit. Jota Peleteiro is called to incorporate quality between the lines, either from the band or as a hook in the center of the field.
The young man Thomas Tavares is anyone's guess. He arrives with good references, but he has yet to adjust to playing in the elite and has not yet started training with his new teammates. In this sense, the concentration with the Portugal Under-21 team has made him lose precious time, since these two weeks of break were the ideal time to start entering the always demanding Albiazul dynamic.