The Alavés coach, who has always confessed his eternal love for Mallorca, is going through a difficult time in Vitoria. The Cup relieved some of the pain.
Luis García Plaza is an Atlético man, having trained and played at Atlético Madrid. As a coach, he has spent time with numerous teams, including experiences in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and China. However, his two favorite clubs are Mallorca and Alavés. In fact, although his family resides in Altea, he maintains his domicile in the Balearic Islands. On August 6, 2020, he joined the island team and almost a year later, he achieved promotion to La Liga. He was discharged on March 22, 2022, after racking up six consecutive defeats. He also led Al Glorioso to great heights, but now he is not in a favorable position, and drastic decisions could be on the horizon if he loses to the islanders in Mendizorroza (follow the match live on As.com).
It will be a night of celebration, with flags donated by the club and less than 500 tickets available at the box office. It remains to be seen whether the atmosphere will be that of Halloween or that of the Day of the Dead. If defeated, it would equal one of the worst runs in the club’s La Liga history. Six consecutive losses only came in the 1932-33, 2017-18 and 2019-20 campaigns. At least the Cup match against Compos eased some of the pain. Hugo Novoa remains on the sidelines and is not expected to return in the coming weeks. After the match against Villarreal there will be another international break. Alavés brings back Abqar and is likely to make full use of Sedlar. The Moroccan is close to reaching an agreement for his renewal, one of the most crucial subjects within the club, otherwise he would be free to negotiate in January, without leaving a financial trace. As for Sedlar, he is coming back from a muscle tear and must gradually find his rhythm.
Meanwhile, Mallorca aims to keep its eyes on Europe. They confirmed the absences of Llabrés, Asano, Cuéllar and above all, Samu Costa, who received a red card against Athletic. The Balearic team arrives in Vitoria in one of the best phases of the last five years, with 18 points in 11 matches and having lost only one of their last six matches, against Espanyol. They have won three of their five away matches this year. One of the Bermellones’ main strengths will be their defensive line, where they have been robust, conceding just eight goals in eleven matches and recording five shutouts so far.
Attacking players will need to improve their performance and refine their aim, as ten goals is a low number considering the number of chances created on the pitch. Jagoba Arrasate is known for rotating, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Leo Román in the starting XI. An intense night is expected in the capital of Alavés.
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