Toni Martínez Shines as Deportivo Alavés Struggles to Draw in Seville

omidbasir- The Deportivo Alavés team returned on Saturday from Seville with a bittersweet taste, having drawn against an opponent that played with ten men for over an hour. The first half from Coudet’s players fell short of expectations, but halftime adjustments changed the course of the match, with Toni Martínez once again emerging as a decisive figure in lifting the team from a challenging situation.

The Murcian forward is currently experiencing his best form since joining Vitoria nearly a year and a half ago. He has always been a favored player of coach ‘Chacho’, although the arrival of Lucas Boyé had somewhat diminished his prominence. Nevertheless, the start of 2026 has brought back the most efficient version of Toni Martínez, who has scored five goals in the last eight matches, establishing himself as one of the top scorers alongside Boyé.

Previously, the former Porto player had only managed to net two goals in the first half of the season, both of which secured victories for Alavés. He scored his first goal on the opening day against Levante at Mendizorroza and followed it up two months later at home against Elche. Aside from a couple of goals in the Copa del Rey against CD Getxo and Portugalete, Martínez had struggled to find the net with any consistency, despite being the forward with the most minutes on the pitch.

However, the new year has allowed him to reconnect with scoring. He netted a consolation goal at La Cerámica, then scored again just four days later, eliminating Rayo Vallecano from the Copa del Rey, where he also found the back of the net against Real Sociedad. Betis and Sevilla have also fallen victim to the forward in La Liga, and he played a crucial role in the victory against Espanyol with an assist for Boyé. The departure of Carlos Vicente resulted in a loss of scoring, but Toni has stepped up decisively at the beginning of 2026.