Bahia will host Corinthians at the Arena Fonte Nova on Sunday for the first match of the second half of the league. Brazilian Serie A campaign.
Just a few points separate the two teams in the standings, with the hosts in sixth place on 30 points after 19 matches and the visitors coming into good form after finishing the first half of the season with three straight league victories.
Match Preview
Bahia resumed their campaign with a hard-fought 1-1 draw away to Atlético-MG, coming from behind after Ademir canceled out Ruan Tressoldi’s first-half stoppage-time goal.
The result put Rogerio Ceni’s side firmly in the race for a Copa Libertadores qualifying spot, leaving them just two points behind fourth-placed Fluminense and three behind third-placed Atlético PR.
Despite their strong position in the table, Bahia will be looking to improve on their home record with four wins, four draws and two defeats from their 10 league matches at the Arena Fonte Nova in the first half of the campaign, beating Chapecoense, Botafogo, Atlético PR and RB Bragantino.
The hosts also have recent history on their side in this match, having won their last two meetings with Corinthians and are unbeaten in the last three meetings between the clubs, including a 2-1 comeback in the first round of this season’s championship after recovering from an early deficit.
© Imago / IMAGO / Photoarena
Corinthians, meanwhile, head to El Salvador full of confidence after a convincing 3-0 win over Remo, extending their Serie A winning streak to three matches.
Fernando Diniz’s side produced an impressive attacking display, with Youri Alberto ending a four-month league drought by scoring twice before Caio Cesar completed the scoring before the break.
The victory continued Corinthians’ resurgence under Dinis, who has made marked improvement since taking charge of the team earlier this season.
Historically, Corinthians have won 29 of the previous 64 meetings between the clubs, while Bahia have won 19 times and drawn 16 times.
With both teams vying for a top-four finish, Sunday’s clash could have major implications in the race for Copa Libertadores qualification.
Bahia Brasileiro kit:
Bahia uniform (all competitions):
Corinthians Brasileiro kit:
Corinthians kit (all competitions):
Team news
© Imago / Rebekah Shumaker
Bahia is monitoring the fitness of Ramos Mingo, who was injured against Atlético-MG, while Quique Olivera remains a doubt with knee discomfort after both players continued individual training during the week.
Luciano Huba is expected to return from normal training for the second day in a row, while defender Marco Moreno is back in the squad and could be named as a substitute.
Corinthians was left without Memphis Depay, who continues to recover from the World Cup and at the same time is negotiating a new contract with the club.
Kaike is out for a long time with a serious knee ligament injury, while Raniele remains a doubt after picking up a knee problem during the World Cup break.
Rodrigo Garro is available again after serving a one-match suspension and is expected to return to the starting lineup.
Possible starting XI for Bahia:
Ronaldo; Marcos Victor, David Duarte, Kanu, Luciano Juba; Kayo Alexander, Eric, Rodrigo Nestor; Christian Olivera, Willian Jose, Erik Pulga
Possible starting line-up for Corinthians:
Hugo Souza; Mateusinho, Gabriel Paulista, Gustavo Henrique, Mateus Bidoux; Allan, Andrew; Caio Cesar, Rodrigo Garro, Breno Bidon; Yuri Alberto
We say: Bahia – Corinthians 2:1.
Both teams go into this match in encouraging form, but Bahia’s recent result against Corinthians and home advantage could prove decisive.
Corinthians have enough attacking quality to threaten with Youri Alberto and Garro, but Bahia have performed consistently well in this match in recent seasons and we expect the hosts to prevail in another close encounter.