1-0 win puts Alaves’ defensive resistance above Villarreal’s dominance

Alaves secured a 1-0 victory over Villarreal at Estadio de Mendizorroza, holding on for three points despite spending long periods without the ball. Lucas Boye scored the only goal in the 31st minute, with Angel Perez providing the assist, and the hosts carried that advantage into half-time and through the final whistle.

Boye’s goal sets the tone

The decisive moment arrived midway through the first half when Boye converted from Perez’s service. It was Alaves’ only goal and proved enough to settle a match in which Villarreal created more of the attacking volume but could not find a way past Antonio Sivera.

Villarreal controlled 75% of possession and completed 625 passes, compared with Alaves’ 195. The visitors also had 18 total shots to Alaves’ nine, including 14 from inside the box. However, only six of Villarreal’s attempts were on target, and Sivera made six saves to preserve the narrow lead. Alaves managed two shots on goal and one expected goal figure of 0.81, while Villarreal recorded 1.28, underlining how the statistics pointed towards a more productive attacking performance from the losing side.

Alaves withstand late pressure

The second half saw both coaches turn to their benches. Alaves introduced Miguel Diaz for Tomas Martinez and Yusi for Manuel Rodriguez in the 54th minute. Villarreal responded with four changes between the 62nd and 70th minutes, bringing on Santi Comesana, Santiago Mourino, Tajon Buchanan and Gerard Moreno for Angel Perez, A. Freeman, A. Moleiro and I. Akhomach respectively.

Those changes did not alter the score. Villarreal finished with nine corners and six blocked shots, while Alaves relied on defensive resistance, recording three tackles from Jonny Otto and five from Antonio Blanco among the notable individual contributions. The disciplinary incidents increased late on: Alaves coach Quique Sanchez Flores was booked in the 45th minute, while Alaves also saw cards for Abde Rebbach, Miguel Diaz and Antonio Sivera. Nicolas Pepe and R. Veiga were booked for Villarreal in the closing stages.

Sivera earns standout rating

Sivera was the standout performer by match rating, earning 7.7 after making six saves in 94 minutes. Perez also impressed for Alaves with a 7.5 rating, an assist and a key pass, while Juan Foyth matched Sivera’s 7.7 for Villarreal after making five tackles.

The win leaves Alaves listed fifth in La Liga with four points from two games, following their recent win and draw. Villarreal are listed 11th with two points from two games; after two successive draws before this fixture, they now add a defeat to their early-season record.