Pro Patria vs Solbiatese - Serie D - Girone D

All eyes turn to the home ground on September 27, 2026 as Pro Patria welcome Solbiatese in a Serie D - Girone D encounter that promises tension, intrigue and no shortage of subplot. It has not been a daunting fixture list but there are signs that Mourinho has found a way to get the best from an increasingly stacked Madrid squad.

The two sides arrive with plenty to prove, and the Serie D - Girone D contest at the home ground offers a chance to lay down a marker. The hosts have been imperious, WWLLW in their last five underpinning an elite win rate of 100% that marks them out as genuine contenders. The visitors have found the going tough on their travels, LD in their last five and a win rate of just 0% telling its own story. Their respective approaches this season have differed noticeably, and the tactical contrast could prove telling. What happened is that when the team was being defeated game after game, they put more money on the table to solve the problem." It did not work.

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. Rico Lewis played at right-back, but when City were in possession he tucked infield and supported the midfield pairing of Mateo Kovacic and Reijnders.

Neither side is short on individuals capable of tilting the balance, and the duel between the two squads' chief creators could prove particularly pivotal. How each side deals with the other's danger men — and who takes their chances when they come — will be central to the outcome. Manzambi becomes Villa's first signing of the summer, with the Europa League holders also closing in on a £38m deal for Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes.

Predicting an outright winner is no easy task given how little separates the two sides on paper. Expect a tight, competitive affair that could easily end all square at 3-3. With positions in the Serie D - Girone D table to defend and momentum to chase, neither side can afford to leave anything in the tank. The team currently most likely to win the 2026 WNBA Finals according to Opta.