Preview: Alaves vs. Cadiz - prediction, team news, lineups

They travel to face Alaves at the Estadio de Mendizorroza, who saw their relegation out of the top flight confirmed last weekend.

Match preview

Defeat at already-relegated Levante saw Alaves' drop out of La Liga confirmed last Sunday, despite taking a first-half lead at the Ciudad de Valencia.

Former Newcastle United striker Joselu, one of the few bright sparks of their disappointing campaign, was who provided them with the crucial advantage, with what was his 14th league goal of the season.

A poor display saw Babazorros El Glorioso collapse under severe pressure from their opponents in the second 45, and their misery was compounded when Gonzalo Escalante saw red for a second yellow card deep into stoppage time.

Therefore, very little is left to play for on Sunday for Julio Velazquez's side, although the boss will be hopeful that his side can leapfrog Levante on the final day to avoid a last-placed finish.

Despite last weekend's heartbreaking relegation, Sunday's hosts will be confident that they can achieve all three points in front of their own supporters, as long as their mindset is in the right place.

Three consecutive victories have been recorded at the Estadio de Mendizorroza, which had given Alaves a glimmer of hope in their survival bid, and with seven of their eight La Liga wins this campaign arriving on home soil, it has certainly not been their form there that has caused them to drop out of the top flight.

Meanwhile, Cadiz will be hoping to avoid the same fate as their hosts when they make the trip there on Sunday.

A 1-1 draw at home to champions Real Madrid was not enough to prevent Sergio Gonzalez's side from dropping into the bottom three last weekend though, with fellow strugglers Mallorca leapfrogging them thanks to a 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano.

An inferior head-to-head record with Los Piratas means that Cadiz must better their result on the final day in order to survive, with Mallorca travelling to ninth-placed Osasuna.

Gonzalez will be looking for his side to focus on their own game though, with results elsewhere out of their control, and if they can perform as they have done in recent months, he will be confident that they can come away happy on Sunday.

Although only four wins have been achieved across their last 11 league outings, the form marks a considerable improvement on much of the campaign, and when taking into account the calibre of their recent opposition, their progress is clear to see.

Each of the division's top eight have been faced during that recent spell, so a return of 15 points can be considered a healthy return for Gonzalez's men, but all that matters on Sunday is picking up three more to provide them with the best chance of avoiding the drop.

Alaves La Liga form:

Cadiz La Liga form:

Team News

Escalante's red card last time out means that the midfielder is ruled out of the final game of the season for Alaves on Sunday.

Mamadou Loum returns from a one-match suspension of his own however, and the on-loan Porto man could slot in for Escalante at the base of the midfield.

Other than the injured John Guidetti, Velazquez looks to have no more absentees to contend with though, with a near-full strength squad to select from.

As for the visitors, full-back Carlos Akapo has been ruled out of the crucial trip after being forced off with a foot injury against Real last weekend.

Varazdat Haroyan is the only other absentee as things stand though, with the central defender being unavailable due to a shoulder problem that has kept him sidelined for the last two months.

On a positive note for Gonzalez, Fede San Emetrio and Ivan Alejo look to have recovered from injuries to allow them to return to the matchday squad on Sunday.

Alaves possible starting lineup:

Pacheco; Navarro, Laguardia, Lejeune, Duarte; Pons, Loum; Mendez, De la Fuente, Rioja; Joselu

Cadiz possible starting lineup:

Ledesma; Carcelen, Hernandez, Fali, Espino; Sobrino, Fernandez, Alcaraz, Idrissi; Perez, Negredo

We say: Alaves 1-2 Cadiz

The potential outcome of this huge game in La Liga depends significantly on the character of the Alaves side following their confirmed relegation last weekend.

Should the hosts come out with plenty of hunger to finish positively, they could well pick up a result following their excellent home form, but should the visitors outmatch their desire to win, they could well earn the crucial three points required to potentially see them through to safety.

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