Burkina Faso
Czech Republic
Indonesia
Lithuania
Montenegro
Nigeria

Bahiavs.Cruzeiro

sportsmole.co.uk, 21 June 2024, 09:44
Looking to avoid back-to-back defeats for the first time in 2024, Bahia will welcome fellow top-six hopefuls Cruzeiro to Arena Fonte Nova for a Brasileiro clash on Sunday.

The Tricolor were sentenced to a loss at the home of the division's early pacesetters last time out, whilst Raposa secured a routine success over the league's basement boys on home soil.

Match preview

After navigating eight games in the Brasileiro unbeaten following an opening day defeat to Internacional on April 13, Bahia experienced the pain of defeat for a second time at the Maracana on Thursday night, when the visitors were unable to hold on for a share of the points against first-placed Flamengo.

Following a 24th-minute opener for the hosts courtesy of midfielder Gerson, Tricolor restored parity in the contest thanks to Everaldo's fifth of the Brasileiro term, meaning that the 32-year-old is now leading the division's Golden Boot race alongside Vitoria enforcer Willian.

As the match in Rio de Janeiro tumbled towards its conclusion, it appeared as if Bahia would be escaping with a valuable point on their travels, but Flamengo were able to stay top of the division after having the last laugh, with former Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea defender David Luiz netting an added-time winner.

Despite missing out on the chance to hit the summit of the Brazilian top flight last time out, Tricolor will be extremely pleased with their start to the 2024 league campaign, with Sunday's hosts currently occupying fifth position in the table, a massive overachievement considering that they avoided relegation by a single point in 2023.

Rogerio Ceni's troops should be confident of moving even further away from the bottom four with maximum points on Sunday evening at their formidable Arena Fonte Nova base, where Bahia have won all four of their Brasileiro contests so far this season, scoring five and conceding only once in the process.

After a rather lacklustre goalless draw with relegation-threatened Vasco da Gama on June 16, Cruzeiro made sure they put a struggling side to the sword at the second time of asking on Wednesday night, when 20th-placed Fluminense came to town and left with their tail between their legs.

Having failed to score during his debut campaign at the club in 2023, right-back William was an unlikely source of attacking threat in Belo Horizonte, with the 29-year-old defender netting either side of the half-time whistle to seal three points for the hosts and crank up the pressure on Fluminense coach Fernando Diniz.

Following a strangely-similar trajectory to Sunday's opponents Bahia, Cruzeiro were promoted to the top tier of Brazilian football in 2022 and narrowly escaped the drop last term, with Raposa now sitting one spot below Tricolor in sixth after collecting 17 points from nine games in 2024.

One contributing factor to Bahia's success to date has been the considerable talents of former Sporting Lisbon and West Bromwich Albion playmaker Matheus Pereira, who has scored three goals and provided one assist in eight league matches, recapturing the form that allowed him to net 11 times in the Premier League for the Baggies during the 2020-21 term.

Despite a heavy sprinkling of magic from the Al-Hilal loanee helping matters, Raposa head coach Fernando Seabra has to take a lot of the plaudits for his side's positive start to 2024, with the 47-year-old winning eight and losing just two of his opening 14 competitive games in charge.

Bahia Brasileiro form:

W

W

D

W

D

L

Bahia form (all competitions):

W

W

D

W

D

L

Cruzeiro Brasileiro form:

W

W

L

W

D

W

Cruzeiro form (all competitions):

W

W

L

W

D

W

Team News

Bahia are without the services of right-back Santiago Arias, who is currently on international duty for an in-form Colombia side at the Copa America in the United States.

Whilst the 32-year-old prepares for his nation's opening game against Paraguay on Monday, Gilberto Junior will continue to deputise on the right of the backline for Tricolor in the Brasileiro.

On loan from MLS outfit New York City FC, Nicolas Acevedo suffered a serious cruciate ligament injury in January and is not expected back in action until September.

Cruzeiro are also without a loanee star in the form of Rangers man Jose Cifuentes, who will be looking to break into the starting XI of Ecuador at the Copa America this summer.

Picking up a knock to his knee in the victory over Cuiaba on June 14, Alvaro Barreal has missed the last two matches and will not be fit in time to feature on Sunday.

Lucas Daniel Romero had been a regular fixture in Raposa's engine room before suffering a muscular injury in the Vasco da Gama stalemate, meaning that Machado is set to continue in a three-man midfield for the visitors.

Bahia possible starting lineup:

Felipe; Junior, Xavier, Kanu, Luciano; Alexandre, Lucas, Ribeiro, Souza; Thiciano, Everaldo

Cruzeiro possible starting lineup:

Anderson; William, Ivaldo, Marcelo, Marlon; Silva, Machado, Ramiro; Veron, Robert, Pereira

We say: Bahia 1-0 Cruzeiro

Possessing a 100% record from home matches in the 2024 Brasileiro, Bahia should be supremely confident of getting back to winning ways on Sunday evening.

Previews by email
Show more

Top News

19 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen has labelled it "an honour" to be linked with a move to a club of the stature of Real Madrid. 19 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have been prone to being physically outmatched by their opponents at times this season and additions to address that would be welcomed, Reds transfer expert David Lynch has claimed. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Denmark welcome Portugal to Parken Stadium in Copenhagen for the first leg of their UEFA Nations League quarter-final tie on Thursday night. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman has dropped a hint on where Virgil van Dijk could move if he departs Liverpool this summer. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Turkey will welcome Hungary to Istanbul for Thursday's first leg of their UEFA Nations League playoffs against Hungary. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk France head coach Didier Deschamps will have to cope without Marcus Thuram when Les Bleus travel to Stadion Poljud to face Croatia in the first leg of their UEFA Nations League quarter-final tie on Thursday night. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk A repeat of the 2018 World Cup final takes centre stage at Stadion Poljud in Split on Thursday night as Croatia play host to France in the first leg of their UEFA Nations League quarter-final tie. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona have confirmed that midfielder Marc Casado will miss the next two months after suffering a knee injury in the 4-2 win over Atletico Madrid on Sunday night. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk The Republic of Ireland travel to Stadion Hristo Botev on Thursday to take on Bulgaria in the first leg of their UEFA Nations League clash, and the visitors will hope to avoid relegation to League C. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Liverpool could be set for a summer of upheaval as three of their key players' futures remain up in the air. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk With a place in League B of the UEFA Nations League up for grabs, Slovakia will host Slovenia in the first leg of their playoff tie on Thursday at Stadion Tehelne pole. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany hopes that Phil Foden can play himself back into form under new England head coach Thomas Tuchel having previously endured 'poor stints' at international level. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea attacker Omari Kellyman has confirmed his season is over following his latest injury setback. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are reportedly interested in four Bundesliga stars ahead of the summer transfer window. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal Women have been left with a mountain to climb in the Women's Champions League owing to a 2-0 loss to Real Madrid in the first leg of their quarter-final tie. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen has admitted he expects to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Morgan Gibbs-White has revealed his reaction to receiving a late England call-up from Thomas Tuchel. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Jeremie Frimpong has fuelled speculation over a summer move to Liverpool by greeting Ryan Gravenberch in a scouse accent. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has seen three players withdraw from his squad due to injury ahead of Thursday's UEFA Nations League quarter-final first-leg clash with Netherlands at De Kuip in Rotterdam. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman has named his 24-man squad ahead of Thursday's UEFA Nations League quarter-final first-leg clash with Spain at De Kuip in Rotterdam. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk UEFA Nations League holders Spain travel to De Kuip in Rotterdam to face the Netherlands in the first leg of their quarter-final tie on Thursday night. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Al Nassr are plotting a stunning move to sign Gabriel Magalhaes this summer, talkSPORT understands. 18 March 2025 talksport.com A trio of England under-21 players joined Thomas Tuchel's training session on Tuesday. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have confirmed that Cole Palmer has returned from the England squad to undergo further assessment on the injury he sustained before Sunday's 1-0 loss to Arsenal. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Continuing their quest for a first UEFA Nations League crown, Italy will welcome familiar foes Germany to San Siro on Thursday evening, as the pair play out the first leg of an enticing quarter-final tie. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal fans may have to wait until next season to see the best of Bukayo Saka ahead of his imminent return from hamstring surgery, Gunners expert Charles Watts believes. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Jean-Philippe Mateta injury was so severe his plastic surgeon refused to show him pictures of his ear. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Ultimately aiming to claim a first UEFA Nations League title, Germany will kick off their quarter-final clash with old foes Italy on Thursday. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey has suggested that Darwin Nunez could still have a future at Anfield, but not as Arne Slot's starting number nine. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Armenia host neighbours Georgia in Yerevan on Thursday evening, as the two nations fight for the right to play in league B of the UEFA Nations League.