Quique Sánchez Flores: Alavés enjoy their best start in Primera

Quique Sánchez Flores has driven Alavés in his first project in Vitoria, collecting 10 points in the first four league matches—Alavés’ best start in Primera. After back-to-back losses to Racing and Valencia, the draw in the derby at San Mamés left the team heading into the break with a positive feeling and in European places.

The biggest shift has been defensive. The side is the league’s lowest conceders, level with Athletic and Celta, and have kept clean sheets in three of their seven games. Up front, Alavés keep creating chances and find danger through play from the flanks; Mariano Díaz has scored 3 goals in this opening run and has become decisive again, with Boyé and Toni Martínez also central to the attacking machine.

Mendizorroza makes the difference

All their wins have come at Mendizorroza, where they’ve scored 9 goals in four games. They’re also increasingly comfortable with a 5-3-2 setup, reinforced by a squad that looks more organized under pressure.

Injuries force a rethink

The September break also arrives with setbacks: Quique lost Mikel Rodríguez and Garcés after both suffered an anterior cruciate ligament rupture during the same training session. MARCA reports that those injuries will push Sergio Fernández to act in the next January transfer window.