Pablo Ibáñez Targets Athletic Bilbao After Alavés Comeback
Alavés head into Saturday’s meeting with athletic bilbao after Pablo Ibáñez said they must reproduce the resilience shown in their comeback win over Mallorca. The Navarre midfielder said the victory at Mendizorroza gave the squad a lift and eased the pressure around a late-season safety fight.
Mendizorroza Lift
Alavés came from behind to beat Mallorca, with Toni Martínez scoring two goals to turn the match. Ibáñez said the result helped the dressing room reset quickly, adding that “the group regained composure” and that “the win gave them a lift.”
He also said “both supporters and players needed it” and that “everyone steps up” after a result like that. The comeback mattered because Alavés sit on 36 points in 16th place, and the Mallorca win eased survival concerns before the trip into another direct test.
Ibaia Training Session
Sánchez Flores’s side trained at Ibaia the morning after a short break, with San Prudencio festivities taking place nearby in Armentia. Ibáñez said the mood around the group has stayed positive, describing the week as being approached with “energy and happiness” and noting that “the team have not sunk” despite bad spells.
There was one setback in the buildup. Lucas Boyé sustained an injury that makes further involvement this season difficult, and at best he could feature against Rayo on the final day. That leaves Alavés lighter in attack as they prepare for a match Ibáñez framed in direct terms: “their focus is solely on beating Athletic to move closer to safety.”
Valverde’s Athletic Test
The challenge now is to carry the Mallorca response into a game that carries immediate table pressure. Ibáñez said morale is high ahead of facing Valverde’s team and that Alavés must “reproduce their resilience on Saturday against Athletic.”
Athletic’s path to this meeting runs through a squad that Ibáñez said came through San Ignacio and Deportivo Alavés, but the task for Alavés is simpler than the background noise around it. They need the same edge that flipped the Mallorca result, because 36 points in 16th place leaves little margin for another flat afternoon.
