Bahia will be looking to end a five-game winless run in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A when they welcome Cruzeiro to the Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova on Saturday night.
Despite leading the hosts by five points in the standings, the visitors will also be eager to return to winning ways following a run of three league encounters without a victory.
Match preview
Bahia head into Saturday's clash on the back of a hard-fought goalless draw with Fortaleza, notching their fourth stalemate in five matches across all competitions, with cup draws against Santos and a league draw against Goias coming last month.
Not only have Renato Paiva's men failed to win any of their last five league outings, but they have also failed to win any of their previous seven outings across all competitions, recording four draws and three losses along the way.
After registering two wins, two draws and five defeats in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A this season, the Salvador outfit find themselves one point clear of the relegation zone, having gained promotion from the second tier last term.
Only the bottom two clubs – Coritiba and Vasco da Gama – have picked up fewer victories than Bahia, while only three teams have suffered more defeats than Paiva's side, which tells you everything that you need to know about their struggles.
That said, Bahia have enjoyed plenty of success at the Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova this year, losing just two of their 12 home games in all competitions, so they will be hopeful of ending their losing run this weekend.
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It is worth remembering that Cruzeiro gained promotion alongside Bahia last year, as the Belo Horizonte outfit clinched the second-tier title in dominant fashion, finishing 13 points clear of second-placed Gremio and 16 points above third-placed Bahia.
Cruzeiro appeared to have adapted to the demands of top-flight football when they won three of their first four Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A matches, securing successive victories over Gremio, Bragantino and Santos.
Since then, however, Pepa's men have managed to register a solitary win across five league outings, suffering defeats to Fluminense, Cuiaba and Atletico Mineiro while failing to score a single goal in the process.
As a result, Cruzeiro enter Saturday's clash on a five-game winless run across all competitions, despite racking up 19 shots while enjoying 66% of the ball in last weekend's 1-0 home defeat to Atletico Mineiro.
Still, Cruzeiro can take confidence from their recent away record, as they have avoided defeat in each of their last four matches on the road, with the four-time Brazilian champions picking up two wins and two draws on their travels.
Team News
Bahia have several defenders sidelined through injury at the moment, including centre-backs Raul Gustavo (knee) and Marcos Victor (knee) and left-back Matheus Bahia (hamstring).
There are also question marks over the fitness of midfielder Yago Felipe (muscle), who has missed the past four outings after featuring in eight consecutive matches.
Renato Paiva will likely opt for a 3-5-2 formation on Saturday, with Vitor Hugo, David Duarte and Kanu lining up in defence, while Everaldo and Ademir are expected to start in attack.
As for Cruzeiro, they look set to be without the injured duo of Fernando Henrique (knee) and Wesley Gasolina (ankle) this weekend.
The visitors will likely start with Wallisson Luiz, Matheus Jussa and Mateus Vital in a three-man midfield, with Wesley, Gilberto and Bruno Rodrigues making up the forward line in a 4-3-3 formation.
Bahia possible starting lineup:
Marcos; Hugo, Duarte, Kanu; Ryan, Thaciano, Rezende, Acevedo, Cicinho; Everaldo, Ademir
Cruzeiro possible starting lineup:
Cabral; William, Neris, Castan, Xavier; Luiz, Jussa, Vital; Wesley, Gilberto, Rodrigues
We say: Bahia 1-1 Cruzeiro
Given that both sides head into Saturday's showdown in poor form, we can see Bahia and Cruzeiro playing out a low-scoring stalemate at the Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova.
Both Bahia and Cruzeiro's past five matches have produced fewer than three goals, while the hosts have drawn four of their previous five, so all the signs point towards another tight contest.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Ben Morris
