Barcelona vs Alaves preview: 100 points still in reach for the champions

Barcelona go to Mendizorrotza as La Liga champions, but there is still something real on the line. They sealed the title with a 2-0 win over Real Madrid in El Clasico on Sunday, sit on 91 points with three games to go, and can still reach the 100-point mark by winning out. Alaves need points for very different reasons, with the hosts stuck in the relegation zone.

Why Barcelona still have a target after the title

This is where the fixture keeps its edge. Barcelona are already top of La Liga and their 30W-1D-4L record says enough about the season they have produced, but the chase for 100 points gives the last three games a proper purpose. That is a more meaningful motivator than a lap of honour, and it should keep the team sharp even with the title sealed.

The selection picture is less clean. Lamine Yamal remains out with a hamstring injury, Raphinha is suspended, and Andreas Christensen is back in training after a serious knee injury but is not yet ready for this fixture. Hansi Flick is still expected to rotate, which feels sensible rather than reckless at this stage.

Robert Lewandowski remains the obvious attacking reference. The brief says he has 7 goals in his previous 5 appearances against Alaves, so even with changes around him, Barcelona have a forward who knows how to punish this opponent.

Why Alaves have more than pride at stake

The head-to-head numbers are ugly for the home side. Barcelona have won 36 of the previous 50 meetings and lost only 7, while Alaves have not beaten them on home soil since December 2001. That is a long run of one-way traffic, and it makes the gap in confidence, not just quality, hard to ignore.

Alaves also need a response because the table situation is serious. They are 19th, and any point here matters in a relegation battle that leaves little room for a bad night. Toni Martínez has been one of their brighter form markers, with 7 goals in his last 7 La Liga appearances, so there is at least one player in form who could make this uncomfortable.

Barcelona should still have enough. Frenkie de Jong and the rest of Flick’s midfield group ought to control enough of the ball to limit the damage, and the quality gap is obvious enough that the champions remain heavy favourites. The more interesting question is not whether Barcelona can win, but whether they leave Vitoria having kept the 100-point chase alive.

The answer will shape the last part of the season. If Barcelona leave with three more points, they go into the final stretch still on course for a number that now feels within reach.