Italian lower‑division pre‑season friendlies

In late July 2026, Italian clubs Bari and Mantova recorded dominant victories in their pre‑season preparations, winning 8‑0 and 7‑0 respectively. The Bari match highlighted the debut of striker Guido Gomez and underscored ongoing tensions with the local community, while Mantova’s win attracted a sizable crowd and featured notable performances from Tomasevic, Silva and Chinetti.

A few days later, on 1 August, Barletta faced Soccer Trani in another pre‑season friendly. After conceding an early goal, Barletta rallied to a 4‑1 triumph, driven by a four‑goal haul from Brazilian forward Mateus Da Silva. The result was presented as a confidence boost ahead of Barletta’s Serie C campaign and emphasized Da Silva’s form.

Together, the matches illustrate a pattern of high‑scoring friendlies among Italy’s lower‑division clubs, with individual players emerging as key contributors and clubs using the fixtures to gauge readiness for the upcoming season.