Juventude vs Athletic Club - Serie B

Juventude prepare to host Athletic Club at the home ground on September 13, 2026, with both sides eager to assert their credentials and claim a result that could define their Serie B season. Manchester United have signed Cristian Orozco(Image: Getty Images) According to TEAMTalk, Manchester United may face a transfer setback if Manchester City midfielder Rodri moves to Barcelona.

A glance at the Serie B table tells the story: Juventude in 2nd and Athletic Club in 10th, with positions to defend and places to climb. Juventude have been picking up results at a respectable clip, LWDDW over their last five with a season win rate of 50%. The visitors have been hard to predict on their travels, WLWLL in their last five reflecting a win rate of 35.71%. The contrast in attacking output — 1.07 versus 1.18 goals per game — adds an extra layer of intrigue. Sky Sports columnist Laura Hunter analyses the big talking points from the first round of Women's Super League matches, bringing you closer to the key stories at the heart of the women's game.

Set-piece efficiency and transition play often decide fixtures of this nature, and both managers will have been drilling those phases on the training ground. Man Utd are pushing higher and working harder to press and counter-press the opposition, especially to win the ball back quickly after a loss of possession.

The fixture boasts genuine star quality. With Mikael topping the Serie B scoring charts at 15 goals, the stage is set for the kind of individual brilliance that can swing a contest. Set-piece specialists and aerial threats on both sides mean dead-ball situations could carry outsized importance. Man United set for immediate Carlos Baleba blow with £65m midfielder to miss 4 matches.

Predicting an outright winner is no easy task given how little separates the two sides on paper. On balance, Juventude look well-placed to claim all three points, and a 2-1 home win would not come as a surprise. The ramifications of this result could ripple through the Serie B standings for weeks to come, regardless of who comes out on top. Joe Gomez is expected to miss the start of Liverpool's Premier League campaign through injury - but it is not likely to impact the Reds' transfer plans.