Two sides looking to open up some daylight between themselves and the relegation zone will face off this weekend when Cuiaba play host to Bahia at Arena Pantanal on Saturday.
The hosts are currently in 13th place in the Brasileiro with 15 points after 13 matches, while the visitors are down in 15th with 12 points, just a single point above Goias, who are the first side below the dotted line.
Match preview
© Reuters
Cuiaba recorded a crucial 3-0 win against Santos last week, snapping a three-match winless run in the league, which included two losses and a draw, and saw them move above Peixe in the league standings.
Dourado were excellent in that match, containing their opponents to just a single shot on target in the first half before Deyverson, Denilson and Rikelme got onto the scoresheet in the second half to secure a much-needed three points for their side.
That was also the first time that Antonio Oliveira's men scored three goals in a match this season, but with their current tally of 12 goals after 13 matches, Dourado are still the second-lowest scoring team in the league.
The hosts have a record of four wins, three draws and six losses this season, though that win over Santos was only their first at Arena Pantanal this term, and Oliveira will be hoping that his side can kick on from here and chase down the sides in the Copa Sudamericana qualification spots.
© Reuters
Meanwhile, Bahia's return to the Brasileiro has not gone exactly as they would have hoped so far as they find themselves perilously close to the drop zone and could even slip into it if they lose here and Goias win their match against Santos the next day.
They come into this match just 72 hours after a testing 1-1 draw in the Copa do Brasil against fellow newly-promoted side Gremio, who they also faced in the league last weekend and were beaten 2-1 by a last-minute winner from Gustavo Martins.
Those results followed a 2-1 loss to Fluminense, meaning they are now winless in their last three matches in all competitions, while across the league season to date, Bahia have only recorded three wins in 13 matches, along with three draws and seven losses.
Renato Paiva's side currently possesses one of the worst away records in the league this season, having only taken four points from a possible 18, and they are also the second-worst scoring team in away matches with just three goals in their six matches on the road.
Bahia managed to take a point in both matches against this opponent back in the 2021 Brasileiro season, and coming into this match off the back of two consecutive league defeats, Paiva will likely be the happier of the two managers if this one ends level as well.
Team News
© Reuters
Uendel and Filipe Augusto were returned to the bench against Santos and could feature in this one, though Oliveira will want to manage their workloads after extended absences.
Lucas Mineiro is the latest player that has been added to the casualty list for the hosts after he picked up a meniscus injury, which should see the trio of Pablo Ceppelini, Denilson and Raniele continue in midfield.
Paiva has a fairly lengthy injury list, with Raul Gustavo (knee), Marcos Victor (knee), Matheus Bahia (hamstring) and Yago Felipe (calf) all expected to miss out on this match.
David Duarte, Gabriel Teixeira, Danilo Fernandes and Vitor Jacare have also been flagged with injuries, but only Fernandes has been completely ruled out for this one, while the other three players will have to undergo late fitness tests
Cuiaba possible starting lineup:
Walter; Alexandre, Marllon, Allyson, Rikelme; Cepellini, Denilson, Raniele; Cafu, Castilho, Deyverson
Bahia possible starting lineup:
Felipe; Cicinho, Xavier, Kanu, Chavez; Rezende, Acevedo, Santos, Cauly; Mingotti, Everaldo
We say: Cuiaba 2-1 Bahia
Cuiaba's win over Santos last week would have provided a huge boost to the mood around the dressing room, and they will see this as a perfect opportunity to go back-to-back against a side that have been very poor on the road this season.
With as many as eight players likely to be ruled out for the visitors and just a three-day turnaround time from their last match, fatigue could be a major factor here for Bahia, and we feel that they will come up short in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
