Bahia have won four of their last five matches: prediction for Palmeiras vs Bahia
The matchday 29 fixture of the Brazilian Championship between Palmeiras and Bahia will take place on October 9 at Nubank Park in São Paulo. The hosts sit second with 57 points, three behind leaders Flamengo, while the visitors are fifth with 46 points and remain in the fight for a direct place in the Copa Libertadores. For Palmeiras, this game also marks the start of an extremely congested period in the schedule — six matches in 15 days.
Palmeiras: battling for top spot amid a congested schedule
In the championship, Abel Ferreira’s team have lost only once in their last six matches — a 3-2 defeat by Fluminense. They then thrashed Vasco da Gama 4-1, drew 1-1 with Mirassol and played out a goalless draw with Botafogo. Palmeiras followed that up with a 2-0 win over São Paulo before sharing the points with Grêmio — 0-0. These results have kept the club as Flamengo’s main challengers and preserved their realistic title hopes.
The schedule presents an additional challenge, with a meeting against Corinthians and a Copa Libertadores semi-final against Fluminense coming up soon. During the international break, eight first-team players were away with their national teams, including Gustavo Gómez, Piquerez, Maurício, Flaco López and Jhon Arias, but all of them are expected to return in time to face Bahia. Paulinho could recover from an adductor injury, while Jefté remains unavailable.
Bahia: four wins in five matches and strong away form
Bahia head into the match after an impressive run in Serie A: the team beat Vitória 2-0, Internacional 3-2, Bragantino 3-2 and Remo 2-1. The streak was halted only in the most recent round by a 2-1 defeat to Athletico Paranaense. Those results have helped Rogério Ceni’s side consolidate fifth place and continue their push for a spot in the top four.
The visitors have been particularly confident away from home and had the best away record in the championship at the midway point of the season. In addition, Bahia have scored in four of their last five meetings with Palmeiras and have already beaten this opponent 1-0 at their own stadium. Ahead of the match, there are still doubts over the fitness of Erick Pulga and David Duarte, while Érick and Kanu were expected to return after the international break.
Match facts and head-to-head record
- Bahia have won four of their last five league matches.
- Palmeiras have lost only one of their last six Serie A matches.
- Bahia have scored in four of their last five head-to-head meetings with Palmeiras.
Visitors can take points off the favourites again: prediction for Palmeiras vs Bahia
Palmeiras remain one of the main contenders for the title and boast one of the most prolific attacks in the championship, but the team are now entering an extremely demanding stretch of fixtures. A large number of players have only just returned from international duty, with crucial league and Copa Libertadores matches ahead. Against this backdrop, it will be difficult for the hosts to maintain maximum intensity throughout the game.
Bahia have looked highly convincing in recent weeks and have already shown that they can perform successfully away against strong opponents. The team score regularly, and four wins in their last five matches suggest they can find the net at least once in São Paulo as well. Given the visitors’ current form and the recent head-to-head record, an evenly contested match with both teams scoring looks the most likely outcome.
