Atlético-MG and Bahia return to league play on Tuesday at 19:30 at the Arena MRV, in a match that restarts the Campeonato Brasileiro and closes the first half of the season for both sides. ge will follow every moment in real time, while Sportv and Premiere will carry the broadcast.
The game matters now because Bahia begin the round in sixth place with 29 points and can finish the first half inside the G-4 if they beat Atlético-MG, which sits 11th with 24 points. Rogério Ceni is expected to keep almost the same side that beat Chapecoense on Friday, with Ronaldo; Roman Gomez or Marcos Victor, David Duarte, Ramos Mingo and Zé Guilherme or Iago Borduchi; Nicolás Acevedo, Erick and Rodrigo Nestor; Erick Pulga, Ademir and Willian José.
That plan is not fully settled. Marcus Victor and Roman Gomez are still competing for the right-back spot, and Guido Herrera was the only one of Bahia's new signings regularized on the eve of the match. Luciano Juba is suspended, while Alejo Veliz, Marco Moreno and Léo Vieira are unavailable, leaving Bahia with a line that may still shift before kickoff even as Ceni leans toward continuity.
Atlético-MG also comes out of the break with a few moving parts, but Eduardo Domínguez has no appetite for a full reset. He is expected to keep the base and make only point changes after two training matches against the sub-20 team and Betim, both won during the break. Lyanco should replace Júnior Alonso in defense, Maycon and Cissé are set to form the double pivot, and the likely XI is Everson; Natanael, Ruan, Lyanco and Lodi; Maycon, Cissé, Bernard and Victor Hugo; Cuello and Cassierra.
The friction for Atlético-MG is in the absences. Alan Franco was released to deal with personal matters and will not be available, while Iván Roman is suspended and Léo Duarte, Patrick and Índio are injured. Preciado and Alan Minda remain doubts after returning later from the Copa, and Tomás Pérez and Lodi are under yellow-card warning. Braulio da Silva Machado will referee the match, with Eduardo Goncalves da Cruz, Thiaggo Americano Labes and Caio Max Augusto Vieira as part of the officiating crew. The kick is set, the lineups are still not fully closed, and Bahia's chance to move into the G-4 may depend on whether Ceni's familiar shape survives the final hours before Tuesday night.
