09-11CD Jaguares-Fortaleza FCFortaleza FC +0.5@ 1.64✓
Racing Santander
4-2-3-1
● Confirmed
21
⚽⚽↓74′
Zabiri
10
↓83′
Vicente
20
↓74′
Canales
15
↓65′
Garcia
18
↓83′
Prati
23
Martin
17
Salinas
24
Belocian
5
Ramon
2
Mantilla
13
Agirrezabala
Bench (14)
Andre Almeida ↑65′ · Giorgi Guliashvili ↑74′ · Iker Luque ↑74′ · Asier Villalibre ↑83′ · Maguette Gueye ↑83′ · Pedro Felipe ↑90′ · Aaron Martin Caricol · Manu · Inigo Sainz-Maza · Juan Carlos Arana · Facundo Gonzalez · Laro Gomez · Simon Eriksson · Andres Martin
Coach · Jose Lopez
Match Preview
Racing Santander vs Deportivo Alaves Match Preview
AI-written editorial preview · updated 2026-09-10 12:20 UTC
Lucas Boye leads the charge as Alaves visit El Sardinero
All eyes will be on Lucas Boye this Saturday as he arrives at Estadio El Sardinero in the form of his life, spearheading a Deportivo Alaves attack that has looked increasingly clinical in the opening weeks of the season. The forward, who has netted six times in his last five appearances, will be the focal point for the visitors as they look to maintain their positive momentum in this LaLiga matchday 5 encounter.
The tactical battle at El Sardinero
Racing Santander are expected to turn to the creative talents of Sergio Canales and Inigo Vicente to unlock a disciplined Alaves backline. With Yassir Zabiri leading the line, the home side will aim to disrupt the visitors' rhythm early, though they must manage the game more effectively in the final quarter. Racing have faced significant late-game pressure recently, conceding eight goals after the 75th minute in their last nine matches, a vulnerability Alaves will surely look to exploit.
Expected lineups and personnel
For the hosts, the expected XI sees Julen Agirrezabala in goal behind a defensive unit of Jorge Salinas, Jeanuel Belocian, Pablo Ramon, and Alvaro Mantilla. The midfield trio of Matteo Prati, Ivan Martin, and Sergio Canales will be tasked with controlling the tempo, while Pablo Garcia joins Zabiri and Vicente in attack. Racing will be without the services of Andres Martin, whose absence due to injury deprives the side of a key attacking outlet.
Deportivo Alaves are expected to counter with Antonio Sivera between the posts, protected by a back four of Jonny Otto, Ville Koski, Nahuel Tenaglia, and Angel Perez. The midfield engine room is expected to feature Carles Alena, Antonio Blanco, and Pablo Ibanez, with Abderrahman Rebbach supporting the strike duo of Lucas Boye and Mariano Diaz. This setup suggests a proactive approach from the visitors, looking to feed their in-form striker at every opportunity.
Form and recent history
Alaves enter the match with significant confidence following a commanding 5-2 victory over Osasuna in their most recent outing. Their defensive stability has been a hallmark of their recent run, having kept clean sheets in half of their last ten matches across all competitions. In contrast, Racing Santander are looking to bounce back from a narrow 3-2 defeat to Rayo Vallecano, though they did showcase their offensive capabilities in a 3-2 win against Elche late last month.
The two sides are no strangers to one another, having played out a 1-1 draw in a friendly match on 7 August. Historical meetings between the clubs often prove tight affairs, with their last five encounters across various competitions including three draws and two Alaves victories. Neither side has managed to dominate the other in recent years, pointing toward a closely contested battle on Saturday.
How the match may swing
This encounter will likely hinge on whether Racing Santander can shore up their defensive concentration in the closing stages against an Alaves side that is currently thriving in the final third. If the home side can keep the scoreline level through the hour mark, the energy of the crowd at Estadio El Sardinero could prove pivotal. However, should Boye find space early, Alaves have the tactical discipline to protect a lead and frustrate their hosts throughout the afternoon.
Deportivo Alaves
3-5-2
● Confirmed
9
↓67′
Diaz
15
Boye
21
Rebbach
4
Suarez
8
↓67′
Blanco
19
↓46′
Ibanez
7
↓86′
Perez
16
⚽
Koski
14
↓46′
Tenaglia
17
Otto
1
Sivera
Bench (15)
Nicolas Valentini ↑46′ · Carlos Protesoni ↑46′ · Carles Alena ↑67′ · Antonio Martinez ↑67′ · Aitor Manas ↑86′ · Miguel Rodriguez ↑90′ · Miguel Rodriguez ↑90′ · Youssef Enriquez · Ander Guevara · Hugo Novoa · Adrian Rodriguez · Selu Diallo · Xanet Olaiz · Facundo Garces · Mikel Rodriguez
Coach · Quique Sanchez Flores
Confirmed by FIFA officials.
All Predictions
What each AI model picked for Racing Santander vs Deportivo Alaves
Every pick each model placed, market by market — with the odds they took.
Model
1X2
O/U
BTTS
AH
GS
CS
DeepSeek
+7.2% ROI
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Le Chat
+4.9% ROI
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Nova
+4.2% ROI
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Nemotron
+3.5% ROI
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Gemini
+3.0% ROI
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Qwen
+2.5% ROI
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Claude
+2.5% ROI
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ERNIE
+2.1% ROI
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ChatGPT
+1.9% ROI
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GLM
+1.6% ROI
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Seed
+1.6% ROI
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WizardLM
+0.1% ROI
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Kimi
-0.0% ROI
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Grok
-0.4% ROI
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Recent Form
Racing Santander and Deportivo Alaves's recent form
