Bahia and Santos meet at Arena Fonte Nova, in a match for the 10th round of Serie A. The history of recent direct confrontations between these two teams indicates total balance, as there were 2 victories for each team in the last 4 matches. The last direct confrontation between these two teams, on 08-25-2018, ended with the Santos victory by (2-0). In this match the home factor may be decisive, since both teams present considerable differences in the results obtained at home and as a visitor.
Bahia:
The home team is currently in the 8 th position of the league, with 14 points won, after 4 wins, 2 draws and 3 losses. In the penultimate match, they tied in an away match against Ceará, by (0-0). In the last match, they lost in an away match against Internacional (3-1). This is a team that usually makes good use of the home advantage, stronger with the help of its supporters, since in the last 30 matches they register 5 wins, 5 draws and 5 losses in away matches, with 21 goals scored and 13 conceded; against 11 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses at their stadium, with 25 goals scored and 7 suffered. In the last match they played, for the Copa do Brasil, they tied with Grêmio away by (1-1).
For this competition, record a sequence of 4 victories in their last home matches. In their away matches there is a tendency for few goals, since 15 of the last 34 matches have ended with Under 1,5 goals. In the last 20 home matches for all competitions there is 1 period that stands out: they have conceded 5 of their 11 goals between minutes (76′-90 ‘).
The Bay is doing a normal campaign in Serie A, does not win 2 games in a row and is looking for a recovery to go back up places in the leaderboard. The team still needs to improve, both in the offensive and defensive sector, as they scored 11 goals in 9 rounds, being the eighth best attack of the competition, and suffered 11 goals, so it has the eighth weakest defense. It is a team that creates several goal opportunities, but ends up suffering with the lack of quality in the finalization and still leaves spaces in its defense, having a somewhat slow defensive transition.
Playing at home, as in Saturday’s game, the Bay has played brilliantly, since it won its 4 games so far and has averages of 2 goals scored per game, being a team that acts in a very offensive way in this condition, so much that he scored 3 goals in 2 of these 4 games. For the match against Santos, coach Roger Machado will be without defender Ernando and striker Rogério, both injured.
Santos:
After 6 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss, the away team is currently in the 2 nd position, with 20 points won. In the last match, they have won in a home match against Corinthians, by (1-0), after in the previous match they have won at home, against Atlético Mineiro, by (3-1). This is a team that usually makes good use of the home advantage, stronger with the help of its supporters, since in the last 30 matches they register 3 wins, 6 draws and 6 losses in away matches; against 11 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses at their stadium. The team comes to this match after a draw at home with Ponte Preta by (1-1). For the league, Santos won 7 points out of 12 possible points, after 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss in the last 4 matches they played as visitors.
Santos is doing a great campaign in Serie A, is in a great phase, with 3 consecutive victories, and is looking for another positive result to stay among the top finishers and try to reduce the difference of 5 points for the leader and rival Palmeiras . The team has the seventh best attack of the competition, with 12 goals scored in 9 rounds and its great asset is its defense, which suffered 7 goals and is the fourth strongest, so much that it did not suffer goals in 3 of the last 4 rounds .
Playing away from home, as in this Saturday’s game, Santos has acted irregularly, alternating between good and bad results, but it comes from a good victory over Ceará. But in the previous game he suffered four goals from Palmeiras. For the confrontation with the Bay, coach Jorge Sampaoli has no problems in the starting lineup and goes to the field with the greatest strength, especially striker Eduardo Sasha, top scorer of the Brazilian championship, with 5 goals.
