Aubagne vs Bastia - Friendlies Clubs

A fascinating Friendlies Clubs chapter awaits on July 24, 2026 when Aubagne take on Bastia at the home ground — two sides with plenty to play for and everything to prove. He experienced victory in his only Old Firm appearance as a Gers player, but Sunday will be his first taste of the fixture in the dugout.

Both camps will view the Friendlies Clubs meeting at the home ground as an opportunity to put a marker down, regardless of where they currently stand. The hosts will hope that the the home ground crowd can inspire a performance, whatever the numbers suggest. Bastia will travel with intent, knowing that a positive result here could kick-start their campaign. If he finds a way of those three players gelling and playing together - making one of them run in beyond - then Chelsea will have a very good season.

Tactically, the contest promises a fascinating contrast. Aubagne will look to impose their style on home soil, while Bastia are likely to have ideas of their own about how to gain the upper hand. No wonder the skipper had talked of a 'new Aston Villa' in the pre-match press conference with what seemed like genuine excitement.

Star players on both sides will be eager to make their mark, and the individual duels across the pitch could go a long way to deciding the outcome. The battle in midfield, where both sides look to control tempo, could prove the decisive arena. Over the last couple of days, there has been talk of a new striker; Dusan Vlahovic is a name that has been mentioned.

Predicting an outright winner is no easy task given how little separates the two sides on paper. The signals point towards a stalemate, with the two sides closely matched across form and standings. A 1-1 draw is easy to envisage. Whatever the outcome, the Friendlies Clubs fixture promises a meaningful contest with real implications for both clubs. Manchester City will begin another Premier League season with major uncertainty hanging over the club after league chief executive Richard Masters admitted the long-awaited verdict on their financial case has taken longer than expected.