Alaves snatched a dramatic 2-2 draw against Osasuna at Estadio Mendizorrotza, rescuing a vital point in their La Liga survival battle thanks to a 90+1 minute penalty from substitute Lucas Boyé. In a tense Regular Season - 30 clash between a relegation-threatened side and a mid-table visitor, both teams traded early and late blows in a match that never truly settled.
Osasuna struck first almost immediately. With just 4 minutes played, V. Rosier surged forward from right-back and finished clinically to silence the home crowd and put the visitors 1-0 up. It was a dream start for an Osasuna side looking to consolidate their position in the top half and stay in touch with the European qualification battle.
Rosier’s evening quickly became more complicated. On 16 minutes he went into the book for tripping, the first sign of the physical edge that would define Osasuna’s defending throughout. The visitors continued to manage the game with slightly more of the ball, but Alaves gradually grew into the contest, driven by the urgency of a team sitting 15th and desperate to put distance between themselves and the relegation zone.
The first half simmered toward the interval with tempers rising. At 41 minutes J. Moncayola was shown a yellow card for handling, and in the same minute Alaves midfielder A. Blanco also picked up a booking for a foul, underlining the intensity in central areas. Yet Blanco responded in the best possible way just before the break.
On 44 minutes, Alaves found their equaliser with a well-worked move. T. Martinez scored, assisted by A. Blanco, as the forward applied the finish to bring the hosts level at 1-1. That goal nudged Alaves’ goals for tally from 32 to 33 and offered a lifeline in a half where they had created more volume of chances but trailed early.
Quique Sanchez Flores reacted at half-time, reshaping his midfield. At 46 minutes, C. Alena came on for J. Guridi, adding fresh creativity between the lines. Simultaneously, A. Rebbach came on for Yusi, giving Alaves more directness on the flank. The hosts, who would finish with 18 total shots and 13 from inside the box, were clearly intent on turning the game around.
Osasuna’s Alessio Lisci made his first change on 60 minutes, as V. Munoz came on for K. Barja to inject new energy in the attacking band behind Ante Budimir. The match tightened, with both sides trading spells of possession – Osasuna ultimately edging it 52% to 48% – but clear chances were rarer as defences held.
Alaves made a third switch on 73 minutes, with A. Guevara coming on for I. Diabate, a move aimed at reinforcing midfield control as the game entered its decisive phase. Lisci then unleashed a triple substitution in the 77th minute: A. Bretones came on for R. Garcia, I. Munoz came on for L. Torro, and R. Garcia came on for A. Oroz, refreshing almost the entire Osasuna spine behind Budimir.
The visitors’ bold reshuffle paid off quickly. On 80 minutes, A. Budimir stepped up from the spot and converted a penalty to restore Osasuna’s lead at 2-1. It pushed their season tally from 34 to 35 goals for, and seemed to put Osasuna on course for a valuable away win that would move them to 40 points and keep them firmly in the top-half conversation.
Alaves, however, refused to fold. Just a minute after falling behind, Sanchez Flores made another attacking change on 81 minutes, with L. Boye coming on for P. Ibanez. The decision would prove decisive deep into stoppage time.
Osasuna then withdrew their goalscorer on 85 minutes, as J. Herrando came on for A. Budimir to help see out the result. The closing stages grew increasingly fractious. F. Boyomo was booked on 87 minutes, and A. Catena followed with a yellow for roughing at 90 minutes, two of Osasuna’s five cautions on the night.
Alaves kept pushing and finally forced their breakthrough. In the 90+1 minute, L. Boye scored from the penalty spot to make it 2-2, capping a late siege that matched their underlying numbers – Alaves finished with an xG of 2.04 compared to Osasuna’s 1.3, reflecting the hosts’ sustained pressure. The goal also lifted Alaves’ goals for from 33 to 34, while Osasuna’s goals against rose from 35 to 37.
The tension did not end there. At 90+3 minutes, A. Osambela was shown a straight red card for unsportsmanlike conduct, leaving Osasuna to finish with ten men. In the 90+4 minute, tempers flared again as A. Perez was booked for Alaves and I. Munoz received a yellow for Osasuna, both for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Statistically, the draw felt fair. Alaves’ 6 shots on goal forced 5 saves from Sergio Herrera, while Osasuna’s 5 shots on target drew 3 stops from Antonio Sivera, aligning cleanly with the goalkeeping numbers. Both sides registered 3 blocked shots, underlining the commitment in both penalty areas.
In the broader La Liga picture, the point moves Alaves to 33 points from 31 games, with their goal difference now at -10 (34 scored, 44 conceded). It is another small but significant step in their survival battle. Osasuna, meanwhile, climb to 38 points from 30 matches, their goal difference slipping to -2 (35 for, 37 against), as they remain in the mid-table pack, still hovering on the fringes of the European qualification conversation but ruing a late lead let slip in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
