The crazy game against Goiás excited Bahia fans. Everaldo’s hat-trick, Cauly’s return in style with two assists, and three important points that took the team out of Z4. After a long break for Data FIFA, it’s time to return to the pitch. And the expectation is to start a good sequence and move away from the zone once and for all. To do this, you need to do your homework against Internacional.
The teams face off this Wednesday (18), at 9:30 pm, at Arena Fonte Nova, for the 27th round of the Brazilian Championship. Only four points separate the two sides. The Squadron has 28 and appears in 16th place. Colorado has four more and is in 12th.
Thus, a triumph could become a watershed for Bahia. After all, if they win, the team would move away from Z4 and also put their opponent from Rio Grande do Sul at risk of relegation again. A defeat, on the other hand, would leave Bahia with a chance of returning to the zone – at the moment, they are just one point away from Vasco, in 17th place.
The good news is that there was a long period of adjustment. Eleven days have passed since the match against Goiás, time used by coach Rogério Ceni to mainly correct the defensive system. The Squadron is the 4th most leaked team in Serie A, with 38 goals conceded in 26 games.
“We had a lot of time to work, we trained the defensive part a lot. This time was important. Even for the committee, which arrived recently, to work more calmly. Even more so after an important triumph. We hope to minimize mistakes and be more solid “, said right-back Gilberto, at a press conference on Monday.
On the other side of the field, Bahia will find a team that also has difficulties – but in the offensive system. Inter has the worst attack in the Brasileirão, with 23 goals scored in 32 games. That’s an average of just 0.88 per game.
Furthermore, Colorado has been making a poor return in Series A. With eight points in seven games in this second part of the competition, it is only in its 15th campaign. The Squadron is 7th in this ranking, with ten points.
The game against the team from Rio Grande do Sul is also worth Rogério Ceni’s first triumph in front of the Tricolor fans. So far, the coach has four games ahead of the Esquadrão, with victories over Coritiba, 4×2, and Goiás, 6×4. But both came as visitors. Also away from home, they lost to Flamengo 1×0.
The commander’s only match in Salvador took place against Santos, exactly a month ago. Bahia opened the scoring with Camilo Cándido, but suffered a comeback and were defeated.
Ceni, however, returns to Fonte Nova with an ace up his sleeve: for the first time, he will have the entire ideal team at his disposal. After all, in the last rounds, he had to deal with a series of absences – including Cauly, the team’s main technical reference this year. The midfielder returned in the last round, but the coach had another important absence: defender Kanu, who had to serve a suspension. Gabriel Xavier was the substitute.
Now, the captain becomes an option again, and should be among the starters. Another player who could be linked to face Inter is Léo Cittadini. Recovered from injury, the midfielder has been training without restrictions. The tendency, however, is for him to start on the bench.
Thus, a likely Bahia team to face Inter has: Marcos Felipe, Gilberto, Kanu, Vitor Hugo and Camilo Cándido; Rezende, Thaciano and Cauly; Ademir, Everaldo and Rafael Ratão.
