Tusport - News - Alaves vs Barcelona: 23-year home drought meets Barca streak

FC Barcelona travel to Mendizorrotza with both history and momentum behind them, while Deportivo Alaves stare at a stat that refuses to fade: they have not beaten Barcelona at home since 2001. The fixture’s most common scoreline in Vitoria—0-2 to Barca—has occurred three times, underlining how often the visitors leave with both points and control. The head-to-head ledger is emphatic. In the last 16 meetings hosted by Alaves, Barcelona have won 11, drawn three and lost just two, with a 34-7 goal difference. Stretch it across the last 34 clashes in all venues and the gap widens further: 26 Barca wins to four for Alaves, with an 86-26 aggregate. Last season, Barcelona completed the double—1-0 at home and 3-0 away—maintaining a modern trend of clean, controlled victories. Form strengthens the narrative. Barcelona arrive on a 10-match LaLiga winning streak, the sort of run that tends to travel well when paired with such a lopsided history. Yet there is a tactical warning embedded in the numbers: both sides are most dangerous late. Alaves score 24% of their goals between minutes 76-90, while Barcelona strike 22% in the same window. If the match is tight, the last quarter-hour could define it. For Alaves, the blueprint is clear: compress the middle to deny Barcelona’s progression lanes, survive the first hour, and leverage late-game set pieces and transitions, where they historically find their best chances. A disruptive tempo and aggressive pressing triggers may be necessary to tilt a match that trends against them. Barcelona, meanwhile, will trust their structure. The recurring 0-2 away scoreline speaks to a familiar arc: patience in possession, controlled pressure, and clinical finishing once gaps appear. Their margin of superiority in goals—both at Mendizorrotza and across the rivalry—suggests that if they score first, the probability curve bends sharply their way. Implications are straightforward. A Barcelona win would extend their LaLiga streak and keep title momentum intact. For Alaves, ending a 23-year home drought would be a statement result—one that flips a storyline generations in the making. Expect a measured opening, a tactical tug-of-war, and a decisive final act, where both clubs’ late-scoring trend could again write the headline.