The Malaguistas, 20^th in the table with 4 points, face an Alavés side sitting seventh with 11 points.

Carlos Muñiz will referee #AlavésMálaga. The 30-year-old official from Zaragoza is making his First Division debut this season. In the 2026/27 campaign, he has already officiated Málaga’s visit to Celta Vigo, which ended 1-1. He will be assisted by Madrid-born Carlos del Cerro in the VAR room.

Players in common Deportivo Alavés-Málaga CF

Lasheras, Méndez, Cañizares, Juanma, Juanito, Alexis Ruano, Iñaki Goitia, Carpintero, Adrián López, Toribio, Javi Guerra, Lacen, Jony, Borja Bastón, Diego Rolan, Dani Pacheco, Paulino, Roberto Jiménez, Ismael Gutiérrez, Abqar, Einar and Darko Brasanac

(*) Former Málaga CF player, Juanmita played for Alavés ‘B’, while Málaga academy graduate Arturo Segado was also part of Deportivo Alavés

Caoches in common Deportivo Alavés-Málaga CF

Juan Ramón Muñiz, Natxo González and Pepe Mel

(*) Javi Calleja, former Alavés coach, was a Málaga CF player (2006-09)

Players in common Deportivo Alavés-CD Málaga

Manuel Olivares, Arana, Juan Arza, Ubis, Félix Sáenz, Requejo and Urdaci

Coaches in common Deportivo Alavés-CD Málaga

Urquiri, Echezarreta, Ben Barek and Luis Costa

(*) José María Zárraga, who coached CD Málaga before becoming the club’s technical secretary in the 1960s, later held the same role at Deportivo Alavés. Juan Ramón, who managed CD Málaga in the 1969/70 season, had previously played for Alavés in the 1930s

(**) One of the earliest coaches in Málaga football, Walter ‘Mister’ Harris, managed both Real Málaga FC and Deportivo Alavés

(***) José Baonza, who led Deportivo Alavés in their First Division debut season in 1930/31, also coached FC Malagueño

Match info

• Alfonso Herrero and Recio are the only Malaguistas to have played every minute this season (810). The goalkeeper from Toledo ranks among the top three in the league for saves, with 34, just five behind leader Álvaro Valles (39).

• Niño, with three goals, is Málaga CF’s top scorer so far this season. Boyé leads the home side’s scoring charts with five goals.

• David Larrubia, with 26 successful dribbles, is the third-best dribbler in LALIGA EA SPORTS, behind Lamine Yamal (36) and Kylian Mbappé (33).

• Málaga CF have picked up just one point from their four away games this season, drawing 1-1 against RC Celta in Vigo. Their other three away fixtures have all ended in defeat, against Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and Getafe, all in the Spanish capital.

• Deportivo Alavés won their first three home league games (3-0 against Getafe, 1-0 against Villarreal and 5-2 against Osasuna) but have lost their last two, falling 0-1 to Valencia and 1-2 to Atlético de Madrid.

Stats and facts

• Málaga CF have played seven times in Vitoria in the First Division, recording two wins, one draw and four defeats, with seven goals scored and nine conceded. Their most recent top-flight meeting there came in the 2017/18 season, when Alavés won 1-0.

• Málaga CF and Alavés also met three times in the Basque Country in the Second Division. Málaga recorded two wins, both by 0-1, while the home side claimed one victory (2-1) in their most recent historical meeting in the 2022/23 season.

• Mendizorroza was the first stadium Málaga CF visited in the First Division. The match took place on matchday 2 of the 1999/2000 season, ending in a 2-1 defeat, with Catanha scoring Málaga’s goal.

• CD Málaga faced Alavés seven times in Vitoria: once in the top flight (1954/55), once in the Copa (1962/63) and five times in the Second Division. Their only positive result was a 1-1 draw in the 1980/81 season in the second tier, with Ben Barek in charge of Málaga.