Valencia take on Alaves in the quarter finals of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday evening, with the home side looking to establish a first-leg lead ahead of the reverse fixture. However, with their opponents having been impressive in reaching this stage of the competition, it could well be a tense affair at the Mestalla Stadium.
Copa del Rey – Valencia v Alaves – Mestalla Stadium, Valencia – Wednesday 17th January – 18:00 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 19/5 at William Hill |
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FC Valencia
AlavesMatch Preview
Valencia host Alaves in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarter final clash this week, with the La Liga high flyers hoping to pick up where they left off last time around against Las Palmas. However, with Alaves having produced one of their best performances of the season in defeating Sevilla in front of their home fans over the weekend, it may well be that Valencia do not have things all their own way on Wednesday evening. For those still unsure of who to back, be sure to check out our top betting tip below. However, let’s first take a closer look at the two teams, starting with the home side.
Valencia Team News & Form
Valencia come into the match off the back of a narrow win away at Deportivo La Corua, a result which leaves them in touch with those at the top of the standings in the Spanish top-flight. Manager Marcelino García Toral has led his team to some fine victories already this season, with an appearance in the Copa del Rey quarter finals offering a good chance of silverware come the end of the campaign. Former West Ham loanee Simone Zaza has been the star of the show in front of goal for Valencia, while the likes of Andres Pereira, Goncalo Guedes and Dani Parejo offer plenty of creativity in midfield.
Alaves Team News & Form
Alaves’ 1-0 win over Sevilla lifted them out of the relegation zone, however manager Abelardo Fernández still has a major fight ahead of him for the rest of the campaign. The Copa del Rey provides welcome restbite for the strugglers however, with Alaves having defeated Formentera 5-1 on aggregate to make it through to the quarter finals. The visitors will be without cup-tied new signing John Guidetti, however Christian Santos does provide a significant attacking threat for the visitors.
Head to Head
The two teams have met just five times in the past, with Valencia having won four of such meetings, as well as suffering one defeat. However, both teams have a win to their name in 2017, which includes a 2-1 success for Alaves back in February.
Betting Odds and Predictions
Given their position in the La Liga standings and their status as the home team this week, it comes as little surprise that it is Valencia who are the favourites for victory with the bookmakers. Those looking to back the home side can take advantage of odds of 5/18 with Ladbrokes, while the visitors are available at odds of 10/1 with the bookmaker Skybet.
Top Betting Tip
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on there being over 2.5 goals during the 90 minutes, which is available at odds 8/11 ahead of kick-off at PaddyPower.