Bahia eyes Data Fifa break to fix defence, formation and finishing
Sixth-placed Bahia, four points off the top four, has over 10 days before its next Brasileirão match to address defensive and attacking issues.
Bahia heads into the international break frustrated after a 3-2 defeat to Cruzeiro, its latest loss to a top-six side, but coach Rogério Ceni's side still sits sixth in the Brasileirão with 53 points, four behind the top four. The Tricolor remains in the race for a Copa Libertadores place, and the pause could be decisive as the team prepares for its final four league games of the season.
A settled central defence
The clearest concern is the lack of a regular starting centre-back. After Ramos Mingo left, Kanu looked like the natural replacement, but he has alternated in the lineup with Spain's Marco Moreno and remains next to David Duarte without a fixed partner. The defensive numbers highlight the problem. In their last 10 matches, Bahia conceded 17 goals, an average of 1.7 per game. Overall, the club has conceded 45 goals, the tenth-best defence in the league, a ranking that does not match its position in the table.
Choosing the system
Ceni also has to decide between the 4-3-3 and the 4-4-2. He switched to a 4-4-2 against Cruzeiro, with Everton Ribeiro coming in for Erick Pulga. The idea was to offer more quality on the ball and a more crowded midfield, but Bahia struggled to create chances and gave the opponent room to build from the back. The 4-3-3 has also shown weaknesses, most notably in the 3-0 home defeat to Flamengo at Arena Fonte Nova.
Everton Ribeiro's return to the starting lineup is a key part of that choice. It was his first start in almost six months, since the 3-2 defeat to Coritiba on May 25 in the 17th round. Ceni said the midfielder was good for the first 30 minutes against Cruzeiro but tired in the second half, when the team lost control of the match. The coach added that the side needs to manage transitions better and keep the ball when it has a numerical advantage.
Finishing and mentality
Bahia's frustrations have come at key moments in the Copa do Brasil, the Libertadores race and the league. The defeat to Cruzeiro came after the team had taken the lead. Dips in performance against Santos, São Paulo and Cruzeiro also showed a need for greater consistency across a full match, especially in the final stretch.
In attack, Bahia has scored 50 league goals, including two own goals, and has failed to score in five rounds. According to the Gato Mestre statistics cited by ge, the team scores once every 9.46 shots, seventh in the Série A ranking. Centre-forward Alejo Véliz scored in stoppage time against Cruzeiro, ending a seven-match drought. Ceni has said the attack has not been as effective as expected, and improving that efficiency is a priority for the break.
Bahia's next match is against Grêmio in Porto Alegre on November 18, at 21:30 Brasília time, in the 35th round. After that come Coritiba on November 21, Botafogo on November 29 and Atlético-MG on December 2, the dates listed for the remaining fixtures.