Alaves make history after progressing to the Copa del Rey final

Returning to the Spanish top-flight this season was already a huge achievement for Deportivo Alaves, who had managed to make their way back into La Liga after a decade’s absence. After defeating Celta Vigo this week in Copa del Rey semi-final action, reaching their first ever final in the competition in the process, they are verging on a dream campaign. 

Mauricio Pellegrino was a controversial appointment as boss at the outset of the season, but now he is looking like an inspired change of direction as opposed to a managerial betrayal. Jose Bordalas was the man who had managed to help Alaves to promotion from the second tier, but the now-Getafe coach was replaced in favour of Pellegrino, who had spent the previous three years managing in his native Argentina. 

Recruitment in the summer was a huge task, with many of the players who had bounced back into La Liga being bumped down the pecking order, but with modest resources Alaves have been able to attack this season on two fronts. As of this week, they sit comfortably in 12th place after being tipped by many for the drop, and have a domestic final against Barcelona to look forward to. 

Factor in that they surprised the Blaugrana by already beating them earlier in the campaign, and you have all of the makings of a David vs Goliath cup final, with Luis Enrique’s men now having to clash with underdogs who have genuine belief that they pull off an upset more than once this season. 

Edgar Mendez snatched the all-important winner at the Mendizorroza on Wednesday, after signing on a free from Granada in the summer, a goal that ensured that he heads into the next cup fixture as Alaves’ leading goalscorer in the competition. Victor Camarasa provided the assist with a flicked header, and since joining from relegated Levante on loan the Spaniard has knuckled down and truly impressed. 

Ibai Gomez was a nuisance out on the left-hand side, with his pinpoint crossing causing all kinds of issues, while Gaizka Toquero toiled hard on the right flank despite his lack of technical quality. Young loanees Marcos Llorente and Theo Hernandez continue to show their limitless potential since signing temporarily from Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, respectively. 

Llorente has picked up the highest average WhoScored rating of any Alaves player who has made more than one league start this season (7.26), while left-back Theo has turned in an average performance of 7.00 - the latter perhaps more impressive given his mere 19 years of age. The Real Madrid midfielder is making 4.1 tackles - one of the best returns in Europe - and 2.8 interceptions per game, as he continues to provide the perfect shield for an under-pressure back four. 

Goals have been hard to come by for Alaves, with their league top scorer Deyverson scoring just five times, but their defensive resilience has been mightily impressive for a newly-promoted team. Across 21 matchdays, Pellegrino’s system has seen them concede just 22 times, giving a goal difference of -1 and helping them to draw nine games this season - the most of any La Liga club.  

Zouhair Feddal has been another smart pick-up at centre-back, alongside either club stalwart Victor Laguardia or the experienced Alexis, while Fernando Pacheco showed across two semi-final legs against Celta why he is perhaps creeping up the list of Spanish goalkeepers in terms of quality shot-stopping. 

Rather than playing it cool and taking the league season game-by-game, Alaves have readily shown that it might be tough to focus on LaLiga action with their first domestic cup final on the horizon, despite Pellegrino’s claims. There is something endearing about their post semi-final celebrations, which would often be treated with a business-as-usual disdain by the nation’s biggest clubs, and the cup fever is sure to only increase as the weeks tick by. 

“This final is a gift from the team, and particularly given this is our first year in La Liga after so many seasons down [in the second tier],” Pellegrino told reporters post-match. “This final will have the whole team focused for the rest of the league season in order for everyone to be in shape when that match arrives. It is going to be a very difficult game and tomorrow we will start thinking about it.” 

Barcelona will be their foe, which would make many shudder, but Alaves have recent experience of beating Luis Enrique’s side against all odds. All the way back in September, the newly-promoted underdogs scraped a shock 2-1 victory at Camp Nou, as Deyverson and Ibai Gomez grabbed goals either side of half-time against a rotated Blaugrana side that paid the price for underestimating their opponents. Barcelona won’t make the same mistake twice - but Luis Suarez and Sergi Roberto are already suspended for the final. 

After scraping through against Celta Vigo to take their inaugural position as Copa del Rey finalists, Alaves quickly changed the header image on their Twitter profile. “We have made history, keep dreaming,” it reads. Given how their bounce-back season has gone so far, Pellegrino’s blend of hardy club men and quickly integrated new additions look far from finishing their fairytale yet, starting first with the welcome of Copa del Rey final opponents Barcelona this weekend.