The good collective performance that UD Las Palmas played against Real Madrid, to snatch a point that could have been three, has hardly been given any national value. That match was a preview of the one that will be played this Sunday in Vitoria, where the yellows will want to confirm once again the good general sensations with a result that supports them.
The battle of Mendizorroza has had recent replicas in both the Second and First Divisions, with two teams that have been pursuing the same goal for some time. And on the fourth day of 2024-25, history repeats itself, with many protagonists on the field who have already experienced this competitive rivalry.
Luis Carrión does not seem to have any arguments to change his pieces and system against Alavés. His team’s performance continues to improve, with moments of remarkable level and others of authentic sacrifice. The combination of both concepts is their path to permanence.
Alavés knows Las Palmas like the back of their hand and vice versa. That is why the fourth matchday clash has many signs of mutual distrust, although curiously the coaches have planned a match of alternatives, each one hiding their factors of surprise.
Victory is not essential, but it would be worth it for Las Palmas to finally get it to shake off a burden that has been lingering since that day against Valencia in the previous matchday.
The keys to the matchThe physical response in a week of three meetings Perhaps this is more important in the case of UD Las Palmas than in Alavés, because two of the three games in eight days have been played away from home by the yellows. And because Luis Carrión does not seem to be a coach with a vocation for rotations. His starting eleven from the first few weeks are very similar. Defensive attention on second plays García Plaza’s teams use strategy as an offensive tool to their advantage. This also requires attention to second plays, both in set pieces and in combination plays that end in crosses from the side. The referee’s criteria in the application of fouls One of the characteristics of the Vitorian team is the abundance of fouls to prevent the continuity of their rivals’ play. In three games they have already committed 53 fouls – sanctioned. UD Las Palmas needs rhythm and connection so that their possession criteria are efficient. Referee García Verdura could have a hot potato on his hands, especially on a pitch as crowded as Mendizorroza. |
