Rousing team effort enough to see Eibar claim a point
The Armeros' task was made all the more difficult by Riesgo's 25th-minute dismissal
Eibar picked up a well-deserved point at Mendizorroza after being forced to play two-thirds of the game with 10 men after Asier Riesgo received his marching orders in the first half.
The two sides failed to serve up much in the way of football, with both teams seeking to quell their opponent's threat. This led to the majority of the game being played out in the middle third, with the ball failing to reach either goalmouth with any sort of frequency.
After a hesitant start from the visitors came the moment which changed the whole complexion of the game. With 25 minutes on the clock and following a mix-up with Florian Lejeune, Riesgo handled the ball outside the area, with the referee deeming the incident to be deserving of a straight red.
Riesgo was making his first start since suffering an injury back in December and only ended up playing 25 minutes upon his return. However, in his short time on the pitch he showcased all of his quality to brilliantly deny Víctor Camarasa in the 21st minute when the Alavés midfielder found himself clean through on goal.
From the free-kick awarded as a result of Riesgo's infraction, Alavés came a whisker away from taking the lead when Ibai Gómez's effort from the edge of the area came crashing back off the junction between crossbar and post.
Now down to 10 men, Eibar upped their game and all of the players put in a real shift to press the hosts virtually right across the pitch and prevent them from posing a threat.
In injury-time at the end of the first half, Lejeune struck a fierce, well-placed free-kick from outside the box, but Fernando Pacheco was on hand to palm the ball behind for a corner.
There was little change to the pattern of play after the interval. Eibar played a high line and kept Alavés firmly in check, with the hosts barely able to generate any sort of threat.
In the closing stages, Eibar's numerical disadvantage began to take its toll, with Alavés making inroads into the Armeros' box and enjoying several chances, but ultimately no goals were forthcoming and the game ended honours even as each side registered a deserved point.