Our betting expert expects this to be a relatively close game, with Alaves being tied with the opponent at halftime.

Best predictions for Barcelona vs Alaves1st Half – Tie or Alaves @ +137 with bet365Barcelona to score under 2.5 goals @ +100 with bet365Highest scoring half – 2nd Half @ +100 with bet365Barca to suffer European hangover?

Ronald Araujo’s unnecessary red card in the first half put Barcelona in a difficult position against Chelsea on Tuesday. They played poorly and lost the game 3-0.

With a key match against Atletico Madrid scheduled for next Tuesday, Hansi Flick will likely rest some regular starters in this match. That rotation could lead to Barca starting the game slowly again.

This slow start has been a clear pattern this season, especially when they’ve played against some of the weaker sides. Barca trailed at the break against newly promoted clubs Levante and Real Oviedo. They’ve been drawing or losing at the interval in 67% of their league fixtures.

Since their injury problems are resolving, Flick will at least have strong substitute players available if he needs them. However, backing Alaves to be at least level at the break seems like a good option, with an implied probability of 42.2%.

Barcelona vs Alaves Prediction 1: 1st Half – Tie or Alaves @ +137 with bet365Visiting defence to keep it close

This is the kind of match that Barcelona will just want to get through with three points. They’ll want to rest as many players as possible so that they are fresh for the Atletico Madrid game. That should encourage an Alaves side that doesn’t have another league fixture until next weekend.

The visitors are strong defensively, conceding just 0.92 goals per 90 minutes in La Liga this term. Only two teams have a better record than that, while they have only let in 0.83 goals per game in away matches. That’s the joint-best tally, along with Atletico.

The underlying data further highlights just how solid Chacho Coudet’s side are at the back. They’ve only allowed 11.6 xG this season, which is the best record in the Spanish top flight.

Those figures suggest there’s value in backing Barca to score under 2.5 goals, with an implied probability of 50%.

Barcelona vs Alaves Prediction 2: Barcelona to score under 2.5 goals @ +100 with bet365Match to open up after the break

Alaves are very likely to set up quite conservatively here. They successfully defended for 61 minutes in this fixture last season before Robert Lewandowski scored the only goal. The match may also open up in the second half.

Barcelona have Lewandowski, Ferran Torres, Marcus Rashford, Raphinha, and Lamine Yamal available now. Therefore, they will be able to field at least two senior attackers against a tiring Alaves defence if needed. That has rarely been the case this season due to injuries.

55% of Barca’s home league goals have come in the second half, when they’ve tended to be stronger. Meanwhile, 57% of all goals scored in Alaves’ matches in La Liga this term have come after the interval. This game could certainly follow those trends.

Barcelona vs Alaves Prediction 3: Highest scoring half – 2nd Half @ +100 with bet365Our analysis: Form of both teamsScore prediction – Barcelona 2-1 AlavesGoalscorers prediction – Barcelona: Robert Lewandowski, Marcus Rashford – Alaves: Lucas Boye

Barcelona won 4-0 against Athletic Club in their first match at Camp Nou in over two years last weekend. That was their third consecutive victory in La Liga. The Catalans are currently only one point behind Real Madrid in the Spanish title race.

While Chelsea beat them in Europe in midweek, they must not dwell on that result for long. A busy week of domestic matches starts with a home fixture against a competitive Alaves side.

The visitors will be content with their total of 15 points from 13 games. They are performing well enough to avoid relegation, which would have been their primary target. However, they have lost their last two matches 1-0 against Girona and Celta Vigo.

Probable lineups for Barcelona vs Alaves

Barcelona expected lineup: J. Garcia, Martin, Christensen, Araujo, Kounde, De Jong, Casado, Rashford, Olmo, Yamal, Lewandowski

Alaves expected lineup: Sivera, Youssef, Pacheco, Tenaglia, Jonny, Alena, Blanco, Ibanez, Suarez, Martinez, Boye