Bahia and Botafogo are in action for the last time before the 2026 FIFA World Cup when they lock horns at the Arena Fonte Nova in round 18 of the Brasileiro Serie A on Saturday. Both sides head into the weekend off the back of contrasting results, with Botafogo claiming a comfortable victory over Caracas in the Copa Sudamericana.
Bahia failed to find their feet on Tuesday when they fell to a 3-2 defeat against Coritiba after giving up their lead in the second half at the Estadio Major Antonio Couto Pereira.
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Rogerio Ceni’s side are without a win in eight straight games across all competitions, claiming three draws and losing five. That poor run has seen them crash out of the Copa do Brasil in the fifth round following a 5-2 aggregate defeat against Remo.
Despite their recent woes, Bahia find themselves in the top half of the table, having racked up 23 points from 16 games to sit eighth in the Serie A standings, level on points with ninth-placed Cruzeiro.
Meanwhile, Botafogo turned in a resilient team display in their Copa Sudamericana Group E finale on Wednesday when they fought back from behind to claim a 3-1 victory over Venezuelan outfit Caracas at the Estadio Olimpico.
While this capped off a stellar group performance for Franclim Carvalho’s men, who picked up 16 points from six games to finish seven points clear at the top of the table, Botafogo now turn their focus to the Serie A, where they have suffered a drop-off in form of late, failing to win four of their last five matches (3D 1L).
Following a 1-1 draw against Sao Paulo last weekend, Botafogo have picked up 22 points from their 16 Serie A matches so far to sit 10th in the league standings, level on points with 11th-placed Vitoria.
Bahia vs Botafogo Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- With 13 wins from the last 30 meetings between the sides, Bahia boast a slightly superior record in the history of this fixture.
- Botafogo have picked up two fewer wins in that time, while the spoils have been shared on six occasions.
- Bahia have failed to win their last five home matches in all competitions, losing three and claiming two draws since April’s 2-0 victory over Athletico Paranaense.
- Botafogo have lost just one of their most recent eight away games, while picking up five wins and two draws since the start of April.
Bahia vs Botafogo Prediction
While Bahia will be aiming to stop the rot and head into the World Cup break on a positive note, they are up against a spirited Botafogo side that blitzed through the Sudamericana group stages.
That said, we predict Carvalho’s men will continue from where they left off on the continental scene and come away with all three points this weekend.
Prediction: Bahia 1-2 Botafogo
Bahia vs Botafogo Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result – Botafogo to win
Tip 2: Over 2.5 goals – Yes (There have been three or more goals scored in six of Bahia’s last seven matches)
Tip 3: Both sides to score – Yes (Both sides have also scored in the hosts’ last seven outings)
Edited by Peter Pedroncelli
