Deportivo Alavés vs Villarreal CF

Alavés made the most of a rare first-half chance to edge out Villarreal 1-0 at Mendizorroza, holding on despite being thoroughly outplayed for long stretches. The decisive moment came just past the half-hour mark and proved enough to seal all three points. Lucas Boyé broke the deadlock in the 31st minute, tucking away the game's only goal to send the home crowd into raptures. Villarreal dominated the ball for most of the afternoon, racking up far more possession and shots on target, but couldn't find a way past a resolute Alavés backline. Tempers frayed as the clock wound down, with yellow cards shown to Abde Rebbach, Antonio Sivera, Mariano Díaz, Nicolas Pépé, and Renato Veiga, though no one saw red. The win lifts Alavés to seven points from three games, a strong early-season return, while Villarreal remain winless and increasingly frustrated after another game dominated in possession but not on the scoreboard.