Villarreal named Gerard Moreno in its starting eleven for the match against Alavés at Mendizorroza, while Mariano was left waiting for his chance. The lineups were confirmed before the 21:30 kickoff in a third-round LaLiga EA Sports meeting that already carried early-season pressure for both sides.
For Villarreal, Moreno came in to partner Mikautadze up front, with Luiz Junior, Mouriño, Foyth, Renato Veiga, Carlos Romero, Comesaña, Gueye, Buchanan and Pépé completing the side. Alavés answered with Sivera, Ángel Pérez, Koski, Tenaglia, Otto, Tebbach, Antonio Blanco, Mikel Rodríguez, Pablo Ibañez, Boyé and Toni Martínez, the forward who was still chasing the sharpness of a debut that had brought him a goal two years earlier and now wanted to score after two matches without finding the net.
The choice around Moreno mattered because Villarreal arrived still looking for a first league win, even if the team had shown a good line and signs of form. That made the attacking setup more than a routine list: it was a statement about who would carry the burden in a match where Alavés had not lost and the visitors had not won. The fixture also came with both teams carrying different week-to-week noise, from Villarreal’s Champions League draw to Alavés’ goalkeeper movement, with Sivera’s renewal and Jesús Owono’s arrival shaping the backdrop.
There was still a question hanging over the visiting bench: Mariano had to keep waiting, and the selection suggested he was not yet part of the preferred starting plan. Quique had already described Villarreal as a very physical side, dangerous the closer it gets to the opposing area, and Iñigo had spoken about matching the emotional or environmental frequency of the crowd before imposing the game. That is the frame as the whistle approaches at Mendizorroza: Villarreal have picked their forwards, Alavés have kept faith with their shape, and the next answer will come from the match itself.
