Bahia host Sao Paulo on Sunday, with the home side looking to continue their six-game unbeaten run as they bid to avoid relegation.
Meanwhile, their opponents are in 12th place in the Campeonato Brasileiro, and they are also in a fine run of form, suffering only one defeat in their previous 10 fixtures.
Match preview
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Sunday's hosts found themselves in 19th position after 23 games, but a recent change in their fortunes has given Bahia a real chance of survival.
They head into the weekend just outside the relegation zone, and they are three points clear of the drop courtesy of a well-timed unbeaten run.
Although they have only won once in their previous six fixtures, four draws in that period have helped Bahia pick up valuable points.
Last weekend, Guto Ferreira's side played out their third goalless draw in their last five matches when they travelled away to Juventude.
A strong defence has played a key role in their newfound success with five clean sheets in their previous six fixtures, conceding just one goal in that period.
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Like their opponents, Sao Paulo have also experienced success of late, and they are looking for their third victory in four outings on Sunday.
After beating Corinthians, Sao Paulo fell short away to Bragantino, but they managed to bounce back last weekend with a 1-0 victory at home to Internacional.
A fifth-minute goal from Gabriel Sara was enough to clinch all three points, and they will aim to collect consecutive league victories for the first time since August 23 on Sunday.
Despite their positive form, Sao Paulo have struggled on the road in the Campeonato Brasileiro this season, picking up just three victories, and they are winless in their previous five away league games.
Sao Paulo also boast an impeccable defence, which has only conceded five goals in their last ten fixtures.
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Team News
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Bahia are still without goalkeeper Matheus Teixeira, and Danilo Fernandes will continue in his place after starting the last six fixtures.
Jonas had to be withdrawn after 19 minutes for Bahia last weekend, and he is likely to be replaced in the starting lineup by Raniele.
Ferreira should have Marcelo Cirino and Rossi available, after they returned from injuries to train this week, and the pair are expected to be included in the squad for Sunday.
Emiliano Rigoni returned from injury to start for Santos last weekend, and the forward will be looking to add to his four league goals this season when he features on Sunday.
Rogerio Ceni is likely to have Jonathan Calleri available after he returned to training this week, and he could be in contention to start at the weekend.
Sao Paulo are also likely to have Rodrigo Nestor back after he missed last weekend's game due to injury, but he is expected to be in the squad for the Bahia clash.
Bahia possible starting lineup:
Fernandes; Guedes, Conti, Otavio, Capixaba; De Lucca, Raniele, Danielzinho; Soares, Nascimento, Rodallega
Sao Paulo possible starting lineup:
Volpi; Orejuela, Arboleda, Miranda, Reinaldo; Liziero, Gomes, Sara, Luciano; Rigoni, Calleri
We say: Bahia 1-1 Sao Paulo
Bahia and Sao Paulo will be hoping to continue their excellent form, and with the two teams boasting strong defences, we think it will be a cagey affair with both sides settling for a point apiece.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Bahia win with a probability of 38.53%. A win for Sao Paulo had a probability of 34.5% and a draw had a probability of 27%.
The most likely scoreline for a Bahia win was 1-0 with a probability of 10.6%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (8.28%) and 2-0 (6.85%). The likeliest Sao Paulo win was 0-1 (9.91%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.81%). The actual scoreline of 1-0 was predicted with a 10.6% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 1-0 win for Bahia in this match.
