Bragantino will play host to Bahia on Saturday, June 5, at Estádio Nabi Abi Chedid. The visitors have yet to win a match on Bragantino’s home turf, losing all of their last eight trips – dating back to 2008. They’ll be eager to break that spell, but can Dado Cavalcanti’s men do it?
Bragantino vs Bahia
When: Saturday, June 5 – 21:00 BST
Where: Estádio Nabi Abi Chedid in Bragança Paulista
Weather: Clear, 23°C
Referee: Victor Gomes
The new season of the Brazilian Serie A started last weekend, and both Bragantino and Bahia secured wins in the first round.
Bragantino won 3-0 against the league newcomers Chapecoense. Bahia faced a more formidable challenger on their home ground, where they hosted Santos. Even though the visitors had the ball in their possession for two-thirds of the match, Bahia won 3-0.
After the first round of the Serie A, Bragantino and Bahia also played in the Brazilian cup. Bragantino lost to Fluminense 0-2, while Bahia won against a Serie B side, Villa Nova FC with 1-0.
No Defeat in Serie A for Bragantino Since January
Bragantino ended last season in 10th place, which isn’t something they should be too proud of. However, they did pretty well in the second half of the season, which certainly gave them a confidence boost for the new season.
In fact, Maurício Barbieri’s men are without a loss in Serie A since January when they lost in an away game to Internacional. They did, however, lose a couple of games in the Campeonato Paulista and Copa Sudamericana since.
Nevertheless, Bragantino started the new season in style and are hopeful they can recreate that success on Saturday. Not only is their form pretty decent, but the Massa Bruta also have a good record against Bahia. The last time these two met, Bragantino won 4-0.
Claudinho scored twice in that match and received some help from Ytalo and Nunes de Castro Helio Junio, who added one goal apiece. All three are still in the club and are showing good form – at least, so it seemed in the first round of the season.
Bahia Looking for their First Away Win Against Bragantino
Bahia don’t seem to like to play away from home. Last season, they won only three games on the road in Serie A. Since then, they put together a couple of away wins, although most came against weaker sides. Bahia’s next game against Bragantino comes off as their toughest away challenge in a while – especially considering their horrible record head-to-head record.
These two sides played eight games at Estádio Nabi Abi Chedid in the 21st century. Each of those ended in favour of the hosts. What’s even more interesting is that Bahia failed to score a single goal across those eight meetings.
That could change this time, as Bahia have been playing really well lately. They got themselves two wins in the previous two matches, which suggests that their confidence is sky-high.
Bragantino vs Bahia Betting Picks
Both teams have been showing good form, but the player quality seems to be on the side of the hosts. They have been playing extremely well for the past few months and looked good in the second part of the Serie A last term.
What’s more, Bahia struggle in away games, which is particularly obvious in their trips to Bragança Paulista, where they have yet to win a match.
Prediction: Bragantino to win
This Brazilian Serie-A football betting preview has been provided for free and is not provided as our premium betting service. If you wish to access our premium bets and predictions, navigate over to our premium page, where you’ll find free picks for a limited time.