The Basque derby is heating up! This Saturday, Alavés and Athletic Bilbao lock horns at the Estadio de Mendizorroza for Matchweek 34 of La Liga. With both sides hungry for points, this promises to be a fierce encounter full of local pride.

Alavés currently sit in 16th place with 36 points, but they're riding a wave of momentum after a gritty 2-1 victory over Mallorca last time out. Quique Flores' men will be looking to build on that result and climb further away from the relegation scrap. Athletic Bilbao, meanwhile, find themselves in 10th with 41 points, but they'll be smarting from a narrow 3-2 defeat to Atlético de Madrid. Ernesto Valverde's squad will be desperate to get back on track.

History favors the visitors in this fixture—Valverde has faced Alavés 13 times, winning nine, drawing two, and losing just two. However, the last meeting between these two sides ended in a 1-0 win for Alavés, so the hosts will believe they can spring a surprise.

Here's a look at the predicted lineups:

Alavés: Antonio Sivera, Ángel Pérez, Jonny Otto, Nahuel Tenaglia, Victor Parada, Carles Aleñà, Antonio Blanco, Pablo Ibáñez, Abde Rebbach, Jon Guridi, Ibrahim Diabaté

Athletic Bilbao: Unai Simón, Andoni Gorosabel, Aitor Paredes, Dani Vivian, Yuri Berchiche, Iñigo de Galarreta, Alejandro Rego, Iñaki Williams, Unai Gómez, Nico Williams, Gorka Guruzeta

One thing to watch: Athletic Bilbao's away form has been a major concern. They've gone 13 consecutive games conceding goals on the road, are winless in their last five away matches, and have lost four in a row away from home. Overall, they've managed just one draw in their last 14 matches across all competitions. That's a worrying trend for Valverde's men.

In contrast, Alavés will be buoyed by their recent win and the energy of playing at home. Quique Flores has faced Valverde 15 times before, with four wins, five draws, and six defeats—so he knows what it takes to get a result.

Will Alavés continue their resurgence, or can Athletic Bilbao snap their poor run? All eyes will be on Mendizorroza this Saturday.