Barcelona vs Deportivo Alavés: Title Celebrations on the Road

Match Context

Five straight wins. Ninety-one points from thirty-five matches. A fourteen-point cushion over Madrid with three games left. This season stopped being a competition weeks ago and turned into a procession. We're not going to Vitoria looking for points—we're going there to keep bodies fresh and give minutes to players who've earned them during this historic campaign.

The Champions League semi-final is what actually matters now. That midweek clash with Atlético showed we've got the firepower and mentality to go all the way in Europe, but it also left a few knocks and tired legs. Flick's got a proper selection headache here, the good kind: does he rest everyone important and risk looking disrespectful to the competition, or does he keep some rhythm going?

Alavés are safe from relegation, sitting comfortably mid-table with nothing to play for. They'll probably treat this as a cup final because beating the champions always looks good, but let's be honest—their season ended weeks ago. Mendizorroza can be tricky on a cold February night, but in mid-May against a Barça side that's barely broken sweat in months? I'm not losing sleep.

Key Players to Watch

Expect a heavily rotated XI. This is where we'll see if the squad depth we've built actually holds up. Ferran Torres should start—he needs minutes and confidence, and Alavés' high defensive line is exactly the kind of setup where his pace actually matters. He's been frustrating this season, but games like this exist for him to pad his numbers.

Frenkie should get a rest. The man's played nearly every match since February and looked gassed in the second half against Atleti. Let Gavi run the midfield with Fermín López—the kid's been electric every time he's come on, and this is the perfect stage to show he deserves more than cameos next season.

At the back, expect Iñigo Martínez to come in for Araujo. The Uruguayan picked up a knock and there's zero reason to risk him. Iñigo's been solid when called upon, though his lack of pace against counter-attacks always makes me nervous. Alavés don't have the weapons to really punish that, but it's something to watch.

Kounde probably plays right-back with Jules getting a breather. The Frenchman's been immense this season but he's human—five matches in fifteen days takes its toll.

Tactical Preview

Flick loves his high press, but don't expect the same intensity we saw against Atlético. This will be more about controlling possession, keeping the tempo manageable, and not picking up any stupid injuries. Alavés under their manager—whoever that is this week, they change more often than we change kits—typically sit deep and try to hit on the break.

Their biggest threat is set pieces. They're tall, physical, and we've been occasionally vulnerable on corners when the concentration drops. Can't afford to switch off just because the league's won. Professional pride matters, and honestly, I want us to finish with 100 points. Why not?

Our midfield should dominate. Even a rotated Barça midfield has more technical quality than anything Alavés can field. The question is whether our second-string attackers can actually finish chances. We've seen this season that creating opportunities has never been the problem—it's putting the ball in the net when Lewandowski isn't on the pitch.

Prediction

Barça wins comfortably, 3-1. We'll score early, cruise through the middle portion, maybe concede a sloppy goal when everyone's thinking about the showers, then add another late on. Ferran grabs one, Fermín gets his first league goal of the season, and someone unexpected—maybe a defender on a corner—adds the third.

Flick makes five or six changes from the Atlético match, everyone gets through unscathed, and we head back to Barcelona with three more points that don't really matter but still feel nice to collect. The real work starts next week in Europe, but for now, let's enjoy watching our youngsters get a run-out in a season that's already delivered everything we could've dreamed of.

Visca el Barça.