Alaves claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Villarreal to move temporarily to the top of the La Liga table, leapfrogging giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Villarreal started brightly, repeatedly threatening Antonio Sivera's goal through the pace and movement of Tajon Buchanan and Gerard Moreno. The home side weathered the early pressure before producing a clinical response.

On 31 minutes, Antonio Blanco picked out a superb diagonal pass. Angel Perez brought the ball under control with an excellent touch before setting up Lucas Boye, who made no mistake with the finish to put Alaves in front.

Villarreal launched an all-out assault after the break, but Alaves' defence stood firm, while Antonio Sivera produced several important saves to preserve the lead.

The visitors were also denied by extraordinary misfortune. In one remarkable sequence, Villarreal struck the woodwork three times during the same attack, somehow failing to find the equaliser.

In the end, Alaves held on for a hard-earned 1-0 victory. The result sends them temporarily to the summit of La Liga, while Villarreal were left to rue a night when luck was firmly against them.

2026-27, Spain - La Liga

Deportivo Alaves - Villarreal 1:0 (1:0)
Goals: Boyé, 31 (1:0)

Deportivo Alaves: Sivera; Tenaglia; Koski; Otto; Blanco An.; Rodriguez Mikel (Enriquez You., 54); Ibáñez P.; Pérez (Protesoni, 71); Rebbach Abderrahman (Denis Suarez, 71); Toni Martínez (Diaz, 54); Boyé (Mañas A., 82)
Substitution: Enriquez You. (from 54); Diaz (from 54); Protesoni (from 71); Denis Suarez (from 71); Mañas A. (from 82)
Bench: Giménez A.; Valentini; Novoa; Guevara; Aleñá; Rodríguez V.M.
Yellow Cards: Rebbach Abderrahman 48; Diaz 89; Sivera 90

Villarreal: Júnior L.; Foyth; Veiga; Mourino (Freeman, 62); Gueye P.A.; Comesaña (Perez A., 62); Buchanan T. (Moleiro, 63); Romero; Gerard Moreno (Akhomach, 70); Mikautadze (Oluwaseyi, 82); Pépé N.
Substitution: Freeman (from 62); Perez A. (from 62); Moleiro (from 63); Akhomach (from 70); Oluwaseyi (from 82)
Bench: Gulacsi; Costa Lo.; Navarro; Cardona S.; Diatta A.; Saliba; Macia C.
Yellow Cards: Veiga 45; Pépé N. 86