Sports Mole previews Saturday’s Brasileiro clash between Bahia and Internacional, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Two teams seeking to end their respective losing streaks will clash when Bahia host Internacional at Fonte Nova Arena in gameweek 20 of the Brasileiro Serie A.
The hosts are winless in their last three matches, while the visitors have not won in their past nine games across all competitions.
Match preview
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Bahia appeared to be heading for a third consecutive league defeat until Jean Lucas‘s 99th-minute equaliser earned them a 1-1 draw.
Rogerio Ceni‘s side have now lost three of their last five matches, which has seen them slip to seventh in the Serie A table with 31 points from 19 games, leaving them nine points adrift of leaders Botafogo.
Maior do Nordeste are currently in a Copa Sudamericana qualification spot, two points behind the final automatic Copa Libertadores qualification place, and they will be aiming to climb further up the table by the end of the next gameweek.
Bahia have lost their last two home matches after winning the opening seven, suffering defeats against Cuiaba and Corinthians, but they will be buoyed by their victory in the last meeting between the two sides at this ground.
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Meanwhile, Internacional failed to progress beyond the Copa Sudamericana playoff round, losing 2-1 on aggregate to Rosario Central after a 1-1 draw in the second leg on Tuesday.
Following the draw against Rosario, Roger Machado‘s side have now endured a nine-match winless run across all competitions, suffering five defeats and four draws since a 1-0 victory over Gremio on 22 June.
The Colorado also lost 1-0 to Botafogo in their most recent league outing, extending their winless run in the Serie A to five matches, which has seen them drop into the bottom half of the table in 13th place with 19 points from 14 games.
Internacional have lost their last two away matches, but their decent away record against Sunday’s opponents could give them hope of securing a result in this encounter.
Bahia Brasileiro form:
Internacional Brasileiro form:
Internacional form (all competitions):
Team News
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Bahia will remain without Nicolas Acevedo, who continues to recover from a cruciate ligament tear while Kanu is doubtful due to a head injury.
Cicinho is also sidelined with a muscle issue, while the trio of Víctor Cuesta, Rezende, and Lucas are all unavailable due to suspension for passing the yellow card threshold.
Internacional remain without several players down the spine of the team as Wanderson (muscle), Fernando (thigh) and Thiago Maia (muscle) continue their spells on the sidelines.
They are joined on the Colorado injury table by goalkeeper Ivan Quaresma, who has been sidelined since January through a knee injury.
Brazilian defender Vitao has been out of action since coming off with a first-half injury in the first leg against Rosario Central while Charles Aranguiz and Alan Patrick are ruled out due to ankle and knee injuries respectively.
Bahia possible starting lineup:
Felipe; Arias, Xavier, Duarte, Iago; Caio, Juba, Ribeiro, Cauly; Thaciano, Everaldo
Internacional possible starting lineup:
Rochet; Bustos, Mercado, Mercado, Bernabei; Romulo, Gomes, Henrique, Carvalho; Borre, Valencia
We say: Bahia 1-0 Internacional
Bahia started their season pretty well but fell off in recent matches, especially on home soil, but they have shown more resilience in recent matches, which is why we are backing them to win against an Internacional side who have been woeful for long.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.