- Head-to-head: Harrogate and Solihull have faced each other 19 times since 2008 with the visitors holding a 9-6 advantage with four ties.
- Tactics: Simon Weaver's men have kept Harrogate fluid and front-foot, whatever the system, be it 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3.
- Summer changes: Chris Millington has made Solihull a more controlled and compact side this summer, pressing more selectively.
Harrogate have the spark to beat the Moors
Harrogate Town and Solihull Moors have a long history in the National League with the West Midlands club holding a small edge in the head-to-head record, 9-6, since 2008. There have been four ties in the 19 games since 2008 and the H2H record suggests this opener will be a competitive affair rather than a romp.
The hosts were relegated from the EFL on the final day of the 2025/26 season but still posted two wins in their last five competitive games – a 2-0 victory over Walsall and a 1-0 success against Colchester. In contrast, Solihull's form during the final weeks of the 2025/26 National League season was patchy, but they finished 14th overall on 56 points, a solid mid-table base rather than a promotion surge.
Pre-season suggests that Simon Weaver has kept Harrogate Town adaptable and aggressive in transition, but they can press high and attack on transition when the ball is won back. Reece Smith is the spark in the engine of this Harrogate team, an orchestrator who brings life to the space between the lines and is one of the club's top creators alongside his team-mates up front. Duke-McKenna and Muldoon give Harrogate a bite in the attacking third and should get some joy against a Solihull defence that is likely to sit in an organised mid-block.
Solihull have enough structure to be tough opponents
Chris Millington has moulded Solihull into a much more compact and controlled side that can press in a more selective manner.
Key players
- Ben Worman showed his quality as a livewire in pre-season with a goal and he'll be key for the West Midlanders in the upcoming season.
- Joe Sbarra can provide a level of quality in the middle third and Corey Addai will hold things down at the back.
Odds and prediction
Harrogate are the clear favorites in the odds at 1.44, with the draw priced at 4.1 and the away side 6.22. But the H2H record and the fact that Harrogate are newly relegated and the Solihull side have momentum from the National League makes us think this will be a test for both clubs.
We think Harrogate will have enough about them to edge this one at home, but the odds on goals suggest a high-scoring matchup. So we're going for Both Teams to Score at 1.81 and Over 2.5 Goals at 1.7 rather than the short odds on a Harrogate win, and a skinny 1-0 scoreline looks like the best way to go here.
