Alavés pay a very high price for reaching the round of sixteen
Deportivo Alavés secured their place in the Copa del Rey round of sixteen with a high-profile home win over Sevilla at Mendizorroza, a result that instantly lifted the mood around the club and delivered a knockout-stage boost at a crucial point in the season.
The breakthrough came via a penalty converted by Carlos Vicente, a moment that set the tone for a night that felt like a reward for the team’s competitiveness and the crowd’s support. When the final whistle went, the stadium atmosphere reflected that sense of achievement, with close to ten thousand supporters celebrating a qualification that keeps Alavés alive in a competition where momentum can rapidly transform a campaign.
Yet the victory came with a heavy cost. What should have been an uncomplicated evening of celebration was quickly tempered by the reality of injuries to two key players, Jonny Otto and Lucas Boyé. For a squad that relies heavily on structure, intensity, and clear roles, losing either player is disruptive. Losing both in the same match, on the eve of a demanding league fixture, forces an immediate rethink and increases pressure on depth options.
Coudet, widely known as “Chacho,” had approached the tie with a level of seriousness that surprised some observers. Rather than using the match primarily as an opportunity for rotation, he selected a starting lineup featuring more established starters than expected. The choice underlined the club’s intent to treat the Copa del Rey as a meaningful objective rather than a secondary distraction. Sevilla, even in fluctuating form, remain a major opponent, and Alavés clearly wanted to avoid the risks that can come with experimental lineups in knockout football.
Jonny’s inclusion was consistent with his importance this season. He has been one of the most reliable pieces in Coudet’s system, not only because of his defensive work but also because of what he provides in build-up and positional discipline. That is why his forced substitution felt like an alarm bell. The Galician full-back had to come off around the middle of the first half after feeling a sharp twinge in his left adductor, the type of issue that often signals a muscular problem requiring caution. In practical terms, adductor issues are difficult because they can linger, and returning too quickly tends to carry a high risk of recurrence.
Boyé’s problem arrived later but brought similar concern. He entered the game in the second half as Alavés looked to manage the match and maintain intensity, but he was unable to see it out. A hamstring issue forced him to withdraw before the end, and he was replaced by Guridi. For an attacking player, a hamstring complaint is particularly worrying because it affects sprinting, explosive changes of direction, and pressing, all fundamental elements in the type of forward play that Boyé is often asked to deliver. Even without a confirmed diagnosis, the timing of the injury makes his availability for the immediate next match highly doubtful.
That next match, against Osasuna at El Sadar, now becomes a complicated puzzle for Coudet. With only a short window between fixtures, the likelihood is that neither Jonny nor Boyé will be ready to start, and it would be a surprise if either were even considered safe to use. This is significant not just because of their quality, but because they are described as essential to the coach’s plan. Coudet’s approach tends to lean on cohesion, coordinated defensive spacing, and clear reference points in attack. Remove key reference points and the whole structure can become less stable.
Jonny’s absence looks the harder one to solve, mainly because of limited depth in the defensive line. Replacing a full-back is not just a case of plugging in another player, because the role can dictate how the team progresses the ball, how it defends wide areas, and how it balances risk when pushing numbers forward. One straightforward alternative would be moving Tenaglia into the full-back slot, a solution that can preserve defensive reliability but may change the way Alavés build attacks from that side. If Tenaglia plays there, it could also have knock-on effects elsewhere, because it shifts responsibilities across the back line and changes how cover is provided when the team advances up the pitch.
Coudet also has other, more improvised options. He could shift Carlos Vicente deeper, effectively converting an attacking wide player into a full-back or wing-back role for phases of the game. That would give Alavés more forward thrust on the flank but carries defensive trade-offs, especially against a side that can attack wide spaces aggressively. Another possibility is turning to the reserve team, which may be less ideal in a difficult away environment but can become necessary when injuries restrict the senior options. Choosing a younger player would also place more pressure on the team’s collective defensive organisation to protect that side.
In Boyé’s case, the likely adjustment points toward Toni Martínez as the most natural replacement to lead the line. The logic is simple: if Coudet wants a recognised striker profile to maintain structure in attack, Martínez is the clearest option. But even then, the role is not a like-for-like swap. Boyé’s game often includes physical duels, holding up play, and creating space for others, while also contributing to pressing phases. If Martínez starts, Alavés may need to tweak how they attack the box, how they progress through the centre, and how they set pressing triggers from the front.
The situation is further shaped by Mariano’s ongoing lack of rhythm. The fact he was left out of the squad by a technical decision is a clear signal that Coudet, at least right now, does not see him as a reliable solution. That reduces flexibility, because it narrows the set of credible options at striker and increases the likelihood that Coudet must either commit fully to Martínez or change the attacking shape to compensate.
From a wider perspective, this is the classic “cup qualification tax” that mid-table or lower-table sides often pay. Winning a major knockout tie against a strong opponent delivers prestige and confidence, but it can also drain physical resources and expose squad limitations. For Alavés, the victory over Sevilla has immediate value in terms of morale and competitiveness, but the injuries risk turning the short-term calendar into a test of resilience. The coaching staff will now have to manage recovery, assess the severity of both issues, and decide whether the priority is to protect the players for the longer term or to take calculated risks in an important league match.
What makes the situation particularly frustrating is that the win itself was exactly the type of result that can strengthen belief. Beating Sevilla at Mendizorroza, in front of a lively home crowd, is not a routine achievement. It reinforces the idea that Alavés can compete with bigger opponents when the game plan is executed well and when the collective intensity is there. Now the challenge is to ensure that the after-effects do not undermine the momentum.
Coudet’s immediate objective will be to find a functional balance against Osasuna: maintain defensive solidity without Jonny, preserve attacking threat without Boyé, and avoid turning one successful night into a damaging week. If Alavés can navigate that transition with minimal disruption, the Copa del Rey qualification will feel like a genuine platform. If they cannot, the feeling may be that the round-of-sixteen ticket came at a price that was uncomfortably high.
