Palmeiras vs Bahia – News and Probable Lineups

On Thursday, Palmeiras will welcome Bahia at the Nubank Parque in Sao Paulo for their encounter, which kicks off at 21:30 local time (01:30 BST) as part of round 29 of the Brasileiro.

Currently, Palmeiras holds the second position in the Brasileiro Serie A standings with 57 points, trailing leaders Flamengo by three points, who will compete earlier the same evening away at Santos.

Bahia, positioned fifth, has accumulated 46 points and is pursuing a direct path to qualify for the 2027 Libertadores.

Match overview

Following the international break, Palmeiras returns to what will be a packed schedule, featuring six matches over a span of 15 days from October 8 through October 23, combining league fixtures with a Libertadores semi-final against Fluminense.

Head coach Abel Ferreira has indicated that he does not plan to rest any key players during this phase, making squad rotation a significant focus for his management team.

During the international window, eight players from the first-team squad were absent due to national team commitments: Gustavo Gomez, Ramon Sosa, and Mauricio represented Paraguay; Emiliano Martinez and Piquerez played for Uruguay; Jhon Arias was with Colombia; and Flaco Lopez and Giay represented Argentina.

All are anticipated to reintegrate in time for the match against Bahia.

Paulinho remains a player of significant interest—having been sidelined since late July due to a tendon injury in his right adductor, the forward is being specifically targeted for a comeback against Bahia, although the club remains unsure about his availability until the end of the international break.

In good form, Bahia concluded the first half of the season with the best away record in the league, scoring in four of their last five encounters with Palmeiras, which includes a 1-0 victory at Allianz Parque (now Nubank Parque), marking the first time Bahia triumphed there.

Since taking charge of Bahia in September 2023, Rogerio Ceni has been awarded a contract extension that will keep him until the end of 2027.

Ceni is the longest-serving head coach among Brazil’s top clubs in this century, a tenure that also saw the end of a 35-year wait for a return to the Libertadores.

With 46 points from 28 games, Bahia must finish in the top four to secure direct qualification for the Libertadores.

With 10 matches still to play, the anticipated points total needed for that final position is around 70.

Team News

In the injured list for Palmeiras, left-back Jefte remains unavailable and is not expected to return until the following season as he continues recovery from an injury.

Aside from Paulinho, the medical team has significantly decreased the number of injury absentees in recent times.

The eight players who participated in the international break (Gomez, Sosa, Mauricio, Martinez, Piquerez, Arias, Flaco Lopez, and Giay) finished their commitments just two days before this fixture, providing Ferreira a narrow but feasible window to get them back into full training domestically.

For Bahia, a medical update from late September indicated seven players sidelined: Caio Alexandre, David Duarte, Erick, Erick Pulga, Joao Paulo, Kanu, and Ruan Pablo.

Erick and Kanu are both expected to be available once the international break concludes, making them candidates for this matchup.

However, Erick Pulga and David Duarte had no confirmed return timeline available at the time of that report, which puts their participation in the starting XI in doubt and will need to be monitored as kickoff approaches.

Palmeiras probable starting XI:

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

Bahia probable starting XI:

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

Palmeiras boasts the second-highest goals-per-game average in the league, but with a visit to face Corinthians scheduled for the subsequent weekend and a Libertadores semi-final immediately following that, Ferreira may opt for some rotation instead of risking fatigued starters.

In this campaign, Bahia has performed better as travelers and has already demonstrated, in the earlier fixture, that they can challenge Palmeiras on their home turf.

A draw with goals from both sides aligns best with the recent history of matches between these teams.