Álvaro García's header seals Alavés' pre-season win over Girona

Deportivo Alavés edged Girona 0-1 in a pre-season friendly in Torremirona, with the winning goal coming from Álvaro García in the 72nd minute. Quique Sánchez Flores trialed a 4-4-2 system, while fielding several youngsters from the B-team in a match played amid a raft of injuries.

Alavés finished 14th in La Liga last season with 43 points from 11 wins, 10 draws and 17 losses, and now enters pre-season with multiple players still proving their fitness. The win came despite early setbacks: Koski (concussion) and Morante (injury in the opening quarter) both went off, while the likes of Yaser, Gazzaniga, Dawda, Portu and Izan remained sidelined. Girona, playing at home, dominated the first half with seven clear chances, but Antonio Sivera’s saves kept the score blank until García’s late header.

First half dominated by Girona’s missed chances

Girona piled on the pressure from the start, testing Sivera with efforts from Vanat, Bryan Gil and Lass, but only found the frame of the goal or the goalkeeper’s body. Alavés, less direct in build-up, had their best chance through Mikel Rodríguez, whose shot cannoned off Sergi Puig. The second half saw constant substitutions on both benches, with Pyshchur and Misehouy among the liveliest for the visitors, while Girona’s fresh legs failed to break down a stubborn Alavés rearguard.

García’s goal arrived in the 72nd minute, following a corner delivered by Abde Rebbach, and settled the match. The result leaves Alavés with a pre-season win under their belt as they continue to assess young talent like Lucas Boyé, Ángel and Aitor Mañas in search of first-team spots.

Quique Sánchez Flores tests 4-4-2 with youngsters on show

Sánchez Flores rolled out a 4-4-2 in Torremirona, a system he intends to make his own for the new campaign. The concentration has doubled as a try-out for several B-team players eager to force their way into the senior squad amid ongoing fitness concerns that include Yaser, Gazzaniga, Dawda, Portu and Izan.

Alavés closed last season with 44 goals scored and 56 conceded (goal difference -12), sitting 51 points behind Barcelona. Their last competitive outing was a 1-2 loss at Rayo Vallecano on May 23, 2026, and their recent form reads three wins and two defeats in the last five (LLWWW) as they look to build momentum ahead of the new campaign.