Racing Santander vs Alaves
Zabiri's brace secures Racing Santander comeback
After falling behind early, Racing Santander turned the game on its head with two second-half strikes from M. Zabiri.
Alaves took an early lead through V. Koski's 18th-minute goal, but Racing Santander fought back before the break with M. Zabiri's equaliser. Zabiri then completed the turnaround shortly after the interval, securing a 2-1 victory for the home side. This result defied Fipster's low-confidence prediction of an away win for Alaves, proving the home team’s resilience.
Outcome probability
The new season kicks off with Racing Santander hosting Alaves in what promises to be an entertaining encounter. Both teams are eager to make a strong start, with Racing Santander newly promoted and Alaves looking to build on their previous campaign. Fresh signings and squad changes add an extra layer of intrigue to this early clash.
Key facts
- 1.This is the first league match of the 2026 season for both teams.
- 2.Racing Santander are newly promoted this season.
- 3.Alaves finished 14th in La Liga last season with 43 points.
- 4.Racing Santander have strengthened with Iván Martín, Julen Agirrezabala, and M. Prati (loan).
- 5.Alaves have signed Miguel Rodríguez and lost Víctor Parada.
- 6.The predicted full-time score is 3-2 in favour of Alaves.
- 7.Halftime score prediction is 2-1 to Alaves.
- 8.Alaves have a points-per-game advantage over Racing Santander from last season.
The context
This fixture marks the first competitive match of the season for both sides. Racing Santander, stepping up after promotion, face a side that remained in La Liga last season, finishing 14th with 43 points. Alaves have made a notable signing in Miguel Rodríguez, while Racing Santander have bolstered their squad with Iván Martín, Julen Agirrezabala, and M. Prati on loan. These changes could prove decisive as the teams test their new-look lineups.
Player Insights
Standout players Fipster expects to impact the match — curated highlights, not full squad lists
Home — Racing Santander
Away — Alaves
Analysis
The prediction leans towards an away win for Alaves, with the most likely scoreline being 3-2. The halftime score is expected to be 2-1 in favour of Alaves, suggesting an early lead that Racing Santander will strive to overturn. Despite Racing's better goal difference last season, Alaves' points-per-game advantage and experience at this level give them the edge. The match is expected to be competitive and high-scoring, with both sides showing attacking intent.
Prediction
Expect a thrilling match with Alaves narrowly coming out on top, winning 3-2. The away side's ability to score early and maintain pressure should see them through, despite Racing Santander's efforts to fight back in the second half.
The verdict
While the prediction favours Alaves, the low confidence in this call means fans should brace for a closely contested game. Racing Santander will be keen to prove their worth at this level, and the match could easily swing either way. Ultimately, expect goals, drama, and a fine start to the season for both teams.
Form as the teams went into this match — excludes this result and anything since.
Team Comparison
Season shape — attack, defence, form, clean sheets & win rate
Home vs Away comparison
Goal difference in each of the last few fixtures — above the line is a net win, below is a net loss
Season comparison
Goals scored & conceded, goal difference and clean sheets across the season
Halftime Performance
What each side does once the whistle goes for half time
Streaks
Recent-form runs — each side’s most-recent game meets in the middle
Head to Head
Tenaglia
Yellow Card
Ibáñez
Yellow Card
Koski
Zabiri
Yellow Card
Zabiri
Assist: Vicente
Ibáñez
Tenaglia
Zabiri
Blanco
Yellow Card
Salinas
Yellow Card
García
Díaz
Blanco
Zabiri
Canales
Prati
Vicente
Pérez
Card upgrade confirmed
André Almeida
Red Card
Mañas
Guliashvili
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Barcelona | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | +24 | 21 |
| 5 |  Sevilla | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | +1 | 13 |
| 6 |  Alaves | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | +5 | 11 |
| 7 |  Deportivo La Coruna | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | +2 | 10 |
| 15 |  Real Sociedad | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -5 | 7 |
| 16 |  Racing Santander | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -10 | 7 |
| 17 |  Levante | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -4 | 5 |
Match Statistics
Racing Santander
4-2-3-1Starting XI
- 2Álvaro MantillaD
- 5Pablo RamónD
- 10Iñigo VicenteM
- 13Julen AgirrezabalaG
- 15Pablo GarcíaM
- 17Jorge SalinasD
- 18M. PratiM
- 20Sergio CanalesM
- 21M. ZabiriF
- 23Iván MartínM
- 24J. BelocianD
Substitutes
- 3Aarón MartínD
- 4Manu HernandoD
- 6Íñigo Sainz-MazaM
- 7G. GuliashviliF
- 8André AlmeidaM
- 9Juan Carlos AranaF
- 12Asier VillalibreF
- 14M. GueyeM
- 16Facundo GonzálezD
- 22Pedro FelipeD
- 31Laro GómezG
Alaves
3-5-2Starting XI
- 1SiveraG
- 4Denis SuárezM
- 7Angel PérezM
- 8Antonio BlancoM
- 9M. DíazF
- 14N. TenagliaD
- 15L. BoyéF
- 16V. KoskiD
- 17JonnyD
- 19Pablo IbáñezM
- 21A. RebbachM
Substitutes
- 2N. ValentiniD
- 3YusiD
- 6GuevaraM
- 10Carles AleñáM
- 11Toni MartínezF
- 12Hugo NovoaF
- 13A. GiménezG
- 20Aitor MañasF
- 22Miguel RodríguezF
- 23C. BenavídezM
- 24Selu DialloM
- 27X. OlaizD
Racing Santander
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. Zabiri | F | 74 | 9.0 | 2 | — | 5 | 3 | 1 | — |
| Julen Agirrezabala | G | 90 | 8.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Iñigo Vicente | M | 83 | 7.1 | — | 1 | — | — | 4 | 2/6 |
| J. Belocian | D | 90 | 7.0 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Iván Martín | M | 90 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1/2 |
| G. Guliashvili | F | 16 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Asier Villalibre | F | 7 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pablo Ramón | D | 90 | 6.4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Álvaro Mantilla | D | 90 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0/2 |
| Sergio Canales | M | 74 | 6.3 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2/3 |
| M. Gueye | M | 7 | 6.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pablo García | M | 65 | 6.2 | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | 2/3 |
| Jorge Salinas | D | 90 | 6.1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1/1 |
| M. Prati | M | 83 | 6.0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| André Almeida | M | 24 | 5.4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Juan Carlos Arana | F | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Facundo González | D | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pedro Felipe | D | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Laro Gómez | G | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Aarón Martín | D | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Manu Hernando | D | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Íñigo Sainz-Maza | M | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Alaves
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonny | D | 90 | 7.1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2/3 |
| V. Koski | D | 90 | 6.9 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| A. Rebbach | M | 90 | 6.6 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 2/2 |
| Toni Martínez | F | 23 | 6.6 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — |
| L. Boyé | F | 90 | 6.5 | — | — | 4 | — | 1 | — |
| Denis Suárez | M | 90 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1/2 |
| Aitor Mañas | F | 11 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| M. Díaz | F | 67 | 6.2 | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | 0/3 |
| N. Tenaglia | D | 46 | 6.1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0/1 |
| C. Benavídez | M | 44 | 6.1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1/2 |
| N. Valentini | D | 44 | 6.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sivera | G | 90 | 5.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Carles Aleñá | M | 23 | 5.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pablo Ibáñez | M | 46 | 5.7 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/3 |
| Antonio Blanco | M | 67 | 5.7 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 0/2 |
| Angel Pérez | M | 86 | 5.5 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0/4 |
| Hugo Novoa | F | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Guevara | M | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| X. Olaiz | D | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Yusi | D | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Selu Diallo | M | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Miguel Rodríguez | F | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| A. Giménez | G | 0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Prediction Q&A
- Who did Fipster predict to win Racing Santander vs Alaves?
- Fipster's AI model predicted Alaves to win against Racing Santander.
- What score did Fipster predict for Racing Santander vs Alaves?
- Fipster predicted a final score of Racing Santander 2–3 Alaves.
- What were the win probabilities for Racing Santander vs Alaves?
- Fipster's model gave Racing Santander a 32% chance of winning, Alaves a 35% chance, and a 33% chance of a draw.
- How confident was Fipster in this prediction?
- Fipster's model assigned this prediction 35% confidence — a low-confidence call.