Bahia and Botafogo meet at 17h30 on Saturday at Casa de Apostas Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, a late-afternoon match that closes the 18th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro for both clubs before the pause for the Copa do Mundo. The timing gives the game extra weight: this is their last league assignment before the break, and it comes with the teams separated by just one point at the start of the round.
Bahia began the round in eighth place with 23 points, while Botafogo opened in 10th with 22, which is why the search for bahia vs botafogo has sharpened around kickoff, broadcast and lineups. TV Globo and Premiere will show the match, and ge will follow it in real time as both sides try to steady their league position before the calendar stops.
Rogério Ceni is working with a side that has not won in eight matches, but he does have Erick and Rodrigo Nestor back after they missed the previous round. Erick is expected to replace Acevedo, who is suspended, and Ronaldo has recovered from injury and can return to the starting lineup. Bahia’s left side also needs attention after Léo Vieira was ruled out for knee surgery and Iago Borduchi was injured on the eve of the match, opening the door for Zé Guilherme. The probable Bahia XI also includes Roman Gomez or Gilberto, David Duarte, Kanu, Jean Lucas, Everton Ribeiro, Sanabria or Kike Olivera or Ademir, Erick Pulga and Willian José.
Botafogo arrives after a 3-1 win over Caracas in the Sul-Americana, a match in which it rotated almost all of its starting lineup after already securing the best overall campaign in the group stage. Franclim Carvalho is expected to go back to the strongest available team in Salvador, but Joaquín Correa is unavailable after his third yellow card against São Paulo. Neto, Vitinho, Ferraresi, Justino, Alex Telles or Marçal, Huguinho, Medina, Lucas Villalba, Montoro or Edenilson, Matheus Martins and Arthur Cabral are among the names in the probable lineup.
The game should be decided as much by who is available as by who is in form. Bahia must cover for absences across the spine and left side, while Botafogo has the benefit of midweek continental momentum but is forced to adjust for a suspension. Davi de Oliveira Lacerda will referee the match, with Douglas Pagung and Pedro Amorim de Freitas as assistants, Lucas Canetto Bellote as fourth official and Marcio Henrique de Gois on VAR. When the whistle goes at 17h30 on Saturday, both teams will know they are heading into the pause with one more chance to shape the table before the season stops.
