Preview: Fluminense vs Bahia - prediction, team news, lineups

Fluminense kickstart a run of six consecutive games in Rio de Janeiro when they play host to Bahia at the Estadio Maracana in round 21 of the Brazilian Serie A on Thursday morning.

Facing an opposing side that has traditionally struggled at the Maracana, the hosts will look to seize the opportunity to claim a victory and build momentum ahead of a challenging run of fixtures.

Match preview

Fluminense return to action with six consecutive matches in Rio de Janeiro, three of which fall in the Brazilian Serie A, two in the Copa do Brasil and one in the Copa Libertadores. They will play four of those games as hosts, with the Maracana expected to play a key role during a decisive period of the season.

Across the last year, Luis Zubeldia's team put together a run of 16 consecutive home victories, emphasising Fluminense's strength at the Maracana, and they will now aim to turn this favourable schedule into a competitive advantage.

While Fluminense remain unbeaten since the World Cup break, they are still searching for their first victory, having recorded a 1-1 stalemate against Bragantino on July 18, one week before being held to the same scoreline by Gremio.

With four points dropped from the last six available, Luis Zubeldia's men remain fourth in the Serie A standings with 33 points, but a victory over Bahia would strengthen their hold in the top four and open up a gap over their rivals from Salvador.

The importance of the result against Bahia now becomes greater for Fluminense, who will seek to gather momentum ahead of their knockout Rio derby against Vasco da Gama, whom they are set to face over two legs in the Copa do Brasil round of 16.

Fluminense and Bahia met recently in a friendly matchup on July 12, with Zubeldia's side claiming a 2-0 victory at the Maracana, thanks to second half goals from Hulk and German Cano.

Meanwhile, Bahia head into Thursday's tie fresh off the back of a frustrating outing at the Arena Fonte Nova, where they were held to a 1-1 draw by Corinthians in a match that saw three of Bahia's goals disallowed.

Angileri gave Corinthians the lead after seven minutes, while debutant Alejo Veliz thought he had equalised shortly afterwards, only for the semi-automated offside system to rule out the goal. Veliz had another effort disallowed before halftime, while Willian Jose suffered the same fate in the second half.

Bahia eventually found a way back into the game through David Duarte, who headed home from a Nestor corner in first-half stoppage time, with head coach Rogerio Ceni criticising the officiating after the match.

Despite the disappointment, 22-year-old Argentine striker Alejo Veliz was Bahia's standout performer on his debut. The forward could earn another start at the Maracana, giving the visitors an additional attacking option.

Following their result against Corinthians, Bahia sit sixth in the league table with 31 points from 20 matches, one point behind Red Bull Bragantino, but a victory in Rio would move the Tricolor de Aco into the top-five places.

However, Bahia are in for a tough challenge at the Maracana, where they have lost each of their last five visits, a run Rogerio Ceni will be eager to end and keep his team firmly in the race for Copa Libertadores qualification.

Fluminense Brasileiro form:

Fluminense form (all competitions):

Bahia Brasileiro form:

Bahia form (all competitions):

Team News

Fluminense will still have to cope without the services of John Kennedy, who remains suspended after receiving his marching orders against Bragantino on July 18.

On the injury front, Jemmes remains sidelined with a thigh problem, while Guilherme Arana and Julian Millan also continue their spells on the sidelines, limiting Fluminense's options.

For Bahia, centre-back David Duarte and left-back Ze Guilherme both received their third yellow cards in Sunday's draw against Corinthians and are suspended for this match.

In Duarte's absence, head coach Ceni has a variety of options to select from, including Marcus Victor, Kanu and recently signed Marco Moreno, who is still working his way back to full fitness.

Luciano Juba, who returned from injury against Corinthians, is the leading candidate to replace Ze Guilherme at left-back, while Goalkeeper Leo and defensive midfielder Caio Alexandre remain unavailable through injury.

Fluminense possible starting lineup:

Fabio; Guga, Silva, Freytes, Rene; Hercules, Martinelli; Canobbio, Acosta, Serna; Hulk

Bahia possible starting lineup:

Ronaldo; Gomez, Kanu, Mingo, Juba; Nestor, Lucas, Acevedo; Ademir, Veliz, Pulga

We say: Fluminense 1-0 Bahia

Fluminense are expected to take control of the match by finding an early breakthrough before managing the contest. Their primary objective will be to secure all three points while also keeping key players fresh ahead of a demanding run of fixtures.

We expect Fluminense to exploit defensive openings against Bahia before focusing on protecting their advantage, rather than pushing aggressively to increase the margin.

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