Deportivo Alaves faced Real Madrid in a La Liga Santander match on Saturday, 23rd January 2021. The fixture took place at the Estadio Mendizorroza in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, and was covered by photographer Vincent West of Reuters Connect, who captured the action between Karim Benzema and Edgar Méndez.
How is Alaves performing currently?
The current context for Deportivo Alaves is vastly different from that 2021 match. In the 2026/27 season, the team sits in third place in La Liga with 7 points, from two wins, one draw, and zero losses in their first three games. Their recent form reads win, draw, win. The squad has shown defensive solidity by conceding just one goal while scoring five, giving them a +4 goal difference. This early run places the Babazorros just two points behind the league leaders, who happen to be Real Madrid, according to the latest data on our standings page.
What happened in that historic match?
The original Reuters Connect report focused on the individual duel between Real Madrid's French striker Karim Benzema and Alaves player Edgar Méndez. Accredited photographer Vincent West described the scene with the words: "Real Madrid's Karim Benzema in action with Deportivo Alaves' Edgar Mendez". The match was part of the La Liga Santander schedule and brought fans to the Alaves fortress. The professional images from that afternoon, with a resolution of 5633 by 3793 pixels, immortalized the atmosphere and intensity of a classic league fixture.
What is the team's next challenge?
With eyes on the present, Deportivo Alaves is already preparing for its next challenge. The team will host CA Osasuna at Mendizorroza on Sunday, 6 September 2026. Osasuna arrives for this match sitting in eighth place in the table, promising a very even contest between two sides looking to maintain their positive early-season momentum. The details of this and all upcoming matches can be found on our fixtures calendar.
What does this league position mean?
Being in the top three at this stage of the competition is a significant achievement. The squad led by Miguel de la Fuente has shown effective, collective play, balanced between attack and defense. With five goals scored, the team has multiple offensive options, something that can be analyzed in more detail in our player stats. Only Real Madrid and one other team are above them in the overall standings, highlighting the good work done during pre-season and the start of the campaign. The objective now is to maintain this consistency over the coming matchdays.
