Bahia and Internacional meet on Sunday at 19h30 at the Casa de Apostas Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, a 25th-round Campeonato Brasileiro game that arrives with both teams missing important pieces. Premiere will broadcast it, and ge will follow in Tempo Real from 18h30.
The timing matters because Bahia used last Sunday’s Ba-Vi win to break a run of five straight draws and keep pace near the G-5, while Internacional arrives after a 0 a 0 draw with Grêmio in the Copa do Brasil and a five-match stretch without a win. For Bahia, the biggest absence is Jean Lucas, suspended after removing his shirt while celebrating a goal in Ba-Vi 508 and collecting a third yellow card.
Bahia’s list of available and unavailable players gives the game a sharper edge. Ademir and Kauê Furquim are back after injury recovery and return from the Seleção Sub-17, respectively, while Kike Olivera is expected to start on the right side of the attack. Everton Ribeiro is still out because he is in partial training, and Léo Vieira remains in medical treatment. The probable Bahia lineup has Ronaldo; Roman Gomez, David Duarte, Ramos Mingo and Luciano Juba; Acevedo, Erick and Rodrigo Nestor; Kike Olivera, Erick Pulga and Alejo Veliz.
Even with the lift from the derby win, Bahia still carries a home record that explains why the climb is not simple: four wins in 12 games. That is the kind of figure that keeps a team honest. It says the recent improvement is real, but not enough to turn Salvador into a guaranteed point bank, especially with Bahia trying to stay close to the G-5 and needing results that match the table pressure.
Internacional has its own list of problems. Paulo Pezzolano cannot count on Bruno Gomes, Mercado and Paulinho because they are suspended, and Victor Gabriel is also listed among the absentees. Aguirre is set to replace Bruno Gomes at right back, Félix Torres to cover for Mercado in defense, and Bruno Henrique should return to midfield. Some Internacional players may also be preserved for the Grêmio match in the Copa do Brasil next week, which adds another layer to a side already sitting 16th with 25 points, without a win in eight Brasileirão matches and with four defeats in that run.
The probable Internacional lineup is Matheus Cunha; Aguirre, Félix Torres, Maripán and Matheus Bahia; Villagra, Bruno Henrique and Alan Patrick or Calebe; Vitinho, Carbonero and Bernabei. Allex is out with a left thigh injury, Rochet underwent lumbar surgery and Kayky had surgery on his right ankle. The match will be refereed by Paulo Cesar Zanovelli da Silva, with Guilherme Dias Camilo and Alex Sandro Quadros Thome as assistants, Paulo Roberto Alves Junior as fourth referee and Paulo Renato Moreira da Silva Coelho on VAR. By the time the whistle goes, both clubs will know the same thing: this is not just another round, but a test of how much damage each can absorb while still keeping its season on track.
