Reuniting with the side he scored an astonishing 129 goals for as a goalkeeper, Bahia manager Rogerio Ceni hosts Sao Paulo at the Arena Fonte Nova in Saturday's Brasileiro battle.
Tricolor have mistakes to rectify following back-to-back defeats in league and continental action, while their visitors seek a fourth win from five in all competitions.
Match preview
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One of Sao Paulo's all-time greats now attempts to weaken his former club's continental credentials, as 52-year-old Ceni - who also enjoyed two separate stints as Sao Paulo head coach - endeavours to keep Bahia above his erstwhile employers in the Brasileiro table.
Taking 50% of points on offer from 10 matches this season, Bahia's respectable tally of 15 has the Tricolor positioned in seventh place in the standings, three points ahead of their visitors outside the continental spots and only behind Ceara - who hold the final Copa Libertadores qualifying place - on goal difference.
Losing just one of their first seven matches allowed Bahia to make an early play for the top six, but Ceni's side have now hit a rough patch with two defeats from their last three Brasileiro contests, both 1-0 away to Flamengo and Gremio.
The hosts also experienced more continental disappointment on Wednesday with a 2-1 reverse to Internacional in their final Copa Libertadores group match, their third straight defeat in the competition and one that saw them miss out on a knockout place.
However, Bahia's continental journey will continue in the Copa Sudamericana thanks to their third-placed finish in Group F, and home is where the heart is for Ceni's men, who have triumphed in five of their last six matches in all competitions at Arena Fonte Nova.
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While Bahia have been condemned to Copa Sudamericana football for the remainder of the campaign, Sao Paulo progressed to the Copa Libertadores knockout rounds unblemished, taking down Argentinian outfit Talleres in midweek to preserve their unbeaten record.
Strikes from Sabino and Luciano either side of a Federico Girotti response launched Luis Zubeldia's men to a 2-1 triumph on home turf, one that moved them onto a praiseworthy 14 points from six matches in Group D, where they won four and drew two of their contests.
Continental football has been a welcome distraction for Sao Paulo of late, as Saturday's visitors currently find themselves outside the coveted top 12 places in the Brazilian Serie A table, having only won two of their opening 10 matches of the campaign.
Sao Paulo's propensity to draw matches has been their downfall - they have played out six Brasileiro stalemates in 2025 already, more than any other team - but a surprise 2-0 home defeat to Mirassol on May 24 did not help their cause either.
Zubeldia's men have now failed to find the back of the net in three of their last four matches in league action, but they can take solace from a three-game winning run against Bahia, who have won just one of the last nine contests between the two sides.
Team News
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Sent off just five minutes into Bahia's recent clash with Vitoria, midfielder Jean Lucas - formerly of Ligue 1 giants Lyon and Monaco - has served his suspension and is back at Ceni's disposal.
With Lucas back in the fold, Bahia should only be missing three injury victims in Kanu (muscle), Andre Dhominique (ACL) and Erick (hamstring), and changes may be afoot given their good availability.
Among the players pushing for inclusion in the first XI will be Manchester City-owned attacker Kayky, who went back to his homeland in February following an unsuccessful spell in the Eredivisie with Sparta Rotterdam.
On the other side of the coin, Sao Paulo head coach Zubeldia is working around a fitness crisis with no fewer than 10 players out injured, including recognisable names in Lucas Moura (knee), Oscar (thigh), Cedric Soares (calf) and midfield veteran Luis Gustavo (lung).
Ruan (knee), Marcos Antonio (hamstring), Igor Vinicius (back), Ferreirinha (foot), Lucca (ankle) and Jonathan Calleri (ACL) are also in the care of the doctors, and Zubeldia has been hit with a double disciplinary blow too.
Indeed, striker Andre Silva and midfielder Alisson collected their third bookings of the Brasileiro season in the defeat to Mirassol, meaning both men must serve suspensions here.
Bahia possible starting lineup:
Felipe; Arias, Duarte, Mingo, Iago; Lucas, Alexandre, Araujo; Kayky, Pulga; Rodriguez
Sao Paulo possible starting lineup:
Rafael; Ferraresi, Franco, Sabino, Wendell; Ferreira, Maia, Bobadilla, Diaz; Alves; Luciano
We say: Bahia 1-1 Sao Paulo
Not since February 1 have Bahia been shut out on home soil - Ceni's men have scored in 17 straight matches on their own patch since - and that streak will surely continue against a depleted Sao Paulo.
However, with the hosts going through a rut and the visitors developing an affinity for a stalemate, a low-scoring draw is the only outcome we can envisage, especially after both sides' energy-zapping Libertadores exertions.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
