Coach of the Matchday 5: José Alberto López and Racing de Santander's 2-1 win over Alavés

RutaMister analysis: we examine the two changes at the heart of the back line, the response to Alavés' opening goal, and the management of the closing stages, using the cited match report. The outcomes described are observable; tactical intentions are editorial interpretations, not confirmed instructions from the coaching staff.

1. Two changes at centre-back

Problem: settle on the central defensive pairing to face Alavés, who arrived second in the table the previous week. Observed decision: José Alberto López fielded Pablo Ramón and Belocian at centre-back, the two changes to the starting eleven. Outcome: Racing conceded the opening goal in the 17th minute, scored by Koski. The goal alone does not confirm the pairing struggled; the match report does not attribute the move to a specific defensive error.

2. Holding the plan after conceding and coming out active in the second half

Problem: overturn the 17th-minute deficit without altering the starting approach. Observed decision: Racing made no substitutions until the 64th minute, not even at half-time, unlike Alavés' double change. Outcome: Zabiri equalised before the break, in the 37th. Racing extended the lead moments after the restart, in the 52nd, through a left-side move involving Canales, Vicente and Salinas. The absence of changes alone does not prove an instruction to stay the course; the starting plan may simply have kept creating chances.

3. Managing the closing stages with five substitutions and Almeida's red card

Problem: protect the 2-1 lead in the closing minutes and cope with a man down after Almeida's 86th-minute dismissal. Observed decision: José Alberto López made five substitutions between the 64th and 83rd minutes: Almeida, Guliashvili, Iker Luque, Villalibre and Maguette Gueye. The side defended solidly after the red card. Outcome: Racing saw out the 2-1 without further incident until the 96th minute. One of those substitutes being sent off, Almeida, makes it harder to credit the result to squad management alone.

Racing came from behind and settled the match right after the restart. Agirrezabala started in goal; the back line featured Mantilla, Salinas, Pablo Ramón and Belocian, the last two new to the central pairing. Prati, Pablo García and Iván Martín made up midfield; Zabiri, Canales and Íñigo Vicente played further forward.

Sivera denied Racing's opener with a save from Pablo García around the quarter-hour mark. Ville Koski put Alavés ahead shortly after, in the 17th minute. Agirrezabala then saved a powerful strike from Rebbach around the half-hour. Zabiri equalised in the 37th: he collected a pass from Íñigo Vicente in behind the defence and finished left-footed inside the box.

Alavés responded with a double substitution at half-time. Tenaglia and Pablo Ibáñez made way for Valentini and Protesoni. Racing, unchanged in personnel, came out very active in the second half and extended the lead in the 52nd minute. Zabiri scored his second after a left-side combination between Canales and Íñigo Vicente, finishing off a cutback from Salinas.

Racing managed the closing stages with five substitutions between the 64th and 83rd minutes. Almeida, Guliashvili and Iker Luque, the latter making his first-team debut, came on first; Villalibre and Maguette Gueye followed, replacing Prati and Íñigo Vicente. Alavés answered with their own double change in the 66th: Aleñá and Toni Martínez replaced Mariano Díaz and Antonio Blanco. Aitor Mañas joined in the 85th.

Almeida saw a straight red card in the 86th minute, but Racing defended solidly to the end. Pedro Felipe came on in the 96th under the concussion protocol, after a clash between Aleñá and Salinas. The 2-1 result was Alavés' first defeat of the season; they had arrived at El Sardinero second in the table, only behind Barça. Racing, unbeaten at home, took their seventh point from five matchdays in front of 21,342 spectators, with Javier Alberola Rojas as referee.

José Alberto López spoke to the press after the match, on 12 September 2026.

“We played a very complete match.” (translated from Spanish)Post-match press conference, 12 September 2026

“We started very well. The break cooled us down and the goal hurt us, those were our worst minutes. And I liked the team's maturity to recover. I'm happy with the match and the win.” (translated from Spanish)Post-match press conference, 12 September 2026

A RutaMister practice inspired by the analysis. This is not an exercise attributed to José Alberto López. Aim: train the team's immediate response right after conceding, without losing shape.

• Players: 8 v 8 plus goalkeepers, with 2 substitutes per team ready to simulate a goal against.
• Area: a full half-pitch with two large goals. Adjust the width to the group's level.
• Duration: three 8-minute blocks.
• Organisation: free-flowing 8 v 8; the coach signals a "goal against" with a whistle and stops play for 5 seconds.
• Rule: a goal scored within the next 5 minutes by the team that conceded counts double.
• Cue: nobody complains or points at a teammate after the goal; the first reaction is asking for the ball to attack again.

Coaching intervention: "Are we going to freeze, or ask for the ball to respond right away?" If the team is slow to react, replay the build-up from the back before continuing.

What to look for: how many seconds the team takes to ask for the ball after the simulated goal, and whether the double-goal rule pays off within 5 minutes. If the group freezes, extend the warning to 10 seconds before restarting.