BILBAO, Spain (Interstat) — Deportivo Alaves’s youth side looks to halt a three-match losing skid when it travels to face lower-tier Club Portugalete in a Copa del Rey Juvenil fixture on Tuesday.

The matchup, part of Spain’s national youth cup competition, pits the struggling Babazorros against a Portugalete team riding the momentum of an upset victory.

Alaves enters the contest reeling from a 3-1 defeat to Barcelona on Saturday. The loss extended a difficult run in domestic play, where the team has failed to score in four of its last five matches, including 1-0 losses to Celta Vigo and Girona. Their last win was a 2-1 result against Espanyol on Nov. 2.

Conversely, Club Portugalete is buoyed by its most recent result, a 1-0 victory over Real Valladolid U19 on Oct. 29. The win demonstrated the team’s capability to compete with and defeat academy sides from larger clubs.

According to the Interstat game simulator, Portugalete is projected to continue its cup success with a 1-0 victory, a prediction that aligns with Alaves’s recent offensive struggles.

For Alaves, the cup match serves as a critical opportunity to regain form before a demanding stretch of La Liga youth league matches, beginning with a home fixture against Real Sociedad on Dec. 6, followed by games against Real Madrid and Osasuna.