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

Palmeiras host Bahia on Thursday, with kick-off at 21:30 local time (01:30 BST) at the Nubank Parque in Sao Paulo, in round 29 of the Brasileiro.

Palmeiras sit second on the Brasileiro Serie A table with 57 points, three behind leaders Flamengo, who play earlier the same evening away at Santos.

Bahia are fifth with 46 points and are chasing a direct route into the 2027 Libertadores.

Match preview

Palmeiras return from the international break into the busiest stretch of their season: six matches in 15 days between October 8 and October 23, combining the league with a Libertadores semi-final against Fluminense.

Head coach Abel Ferreira has already said he does not intend to rest first-choice players through that run, which makes squad management the main concern for his staff.

Eight members of the first-team squad missed training during the international window on national-team duty: Gustavo Gomez, Ramon Sosa and Mauricio with Paraguay; Emiliano Martinez and Piquerez with Uruguay; Jhon Arias with Colombia; and Flaco Lopez and Giay with Argentina.

All are expected to reintegrate in time to face Bahia.

Paulinho is the squad's main point of interest - out since late July with a tendon injury in his right adductor, the forward is being targeted for a return against Bahia specifically, though the club still rates his involvement as a doubt until the international break ends.

Bahia arrive in good form, having closed the first half of the season with the best away record in the division and having scored in four of their last five meetings with Palmeiras, including a 1-0 win at what was then the Allianz Parque (now Nubank Parque), the first time Bahia had ever won there.

Rogerio Ceni has been in charge of Bahia since September 2023 and signed a contract extension through to the end of 2027.

He is the longest-serving head coach among Brazil's leading clubs this century, a reign that also included ending a 35-year wait for a Libertadores return.

With 46 points from 28 matches, Bahia need to finish inside the top four to secure direct Libertadores qualification.

With 10 rounds remaining, the estimated points total required for that cut-off sits at around 70.

Palmeiras Brasileiro form:

Palmeiras form (all competitions):

Bahia Brasileiro form:

Bahia form (all competitions):

Team News

Palmeiras left-back Jefte remains sidelined and is not expected back until next season as he continues his recovery from injury.

Outside of Paulinho, the medical department has significantly reduced its list of absentees in recent weeks.

The eight players called up during the international break (Gomez, Sosa, Mauricio, Martinez, Piquerez, Arias, Flaco Lopez and Giay) had their international commitments finish two days before the match, giving Ferreira a tight but workable window to have them back in full training on home soil.

For Bahia, the medical bulletin from late September listed seven absentees: Caio Alexandre, David Duarte, Erick, Erick Pulga, Joao Paulo, Kanu and Ruan Pablo.

Erick and Kanu were both expected to be available again once the international break ended, putting them in contention for this fixture.

Erick Pulga and David Duarte, however, had no confirmed return date as of that bulletin, which makes their inclusion among the starters a genuine doubt that will need to be checked closer to kick-off.

Palmeiras possible starting lineup:

Miguel; Giay, Gomez, Murilo, Piquerez; Freitas, Pereira, Evangelista, Mauricio; Lopez, Roque

Bahia possible starting lineup:

Ronaldo; Victor, Duarte, Kanu, Juba; Acevedo, Nestor, Erick; Pulga, Olivera, Veliz

We say: Palmeiras 1-1 Bahia

Palmeiras have the second-best goals-per-game average in the division, but with a trip to face Corinthians the following weekend and a Libertadores semi-final immediately after that, Ferreira may be tempted to rotate rather than risk tired first-choice players.

Bahia have been the better travellers in this campaign and have already shown, in the reverse fixture, that they can trouble Palmeiras on their own ground.

A goal at each end is the outcome most in line with the sides' recent head-to-head record.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.