AT FONTE NOVA
Tricolor enters the field this Thursday (23), at 8pm
Published on January 23, 2025 at 07:44
After pre-season in Spain, Bahia will debut the main team in 2025 Credit: Letícia Martins/EC Bahia
The 2025 season will begin in earnest in Bahia. Today, the tricolor faces Sampaio Corrêa, at Arena Fonte Nova, in the Copa do Nordeste, in a game that marks the debut of the main squad this year. The ball rolls at 8pm.
The tricolor chose to delay the first official game of the year so that it could hold the pre-season in Girona, Spain. The club was represented by an alternative team in the first three commitments at Baianão.
The blue, red and white club returned to Brazil last Monday, and yesterday carried out the last activity before the match.
Just as he did last year, coach Rogério Ceni intends to rotate the squad to avoid wear and tear and provide physical preparation for all players. There is an expectation that new faces will appear on the team today.
All six reinforcements hired by the Squadron are regularized and available to Ceni. Midfielder Erick, midfielders Michel Araújo and Rodrigo Nestor and striker Erick Pulga participated in the friendly against Girona’s B team and should gain minutes at Fonte Nova.
Striker Willian José does not have a guaranteed presence. According to Ceni, the 33-year-old center forward performed physically inferior compared to the rest of the squad and will need a little more time to become available.
By the way, Bahia’s first games of the year will be marked by disputes for position. The first of them will be in goal. Squadron starter for the last two seasons, Marcos Felipe ended 2024 on a low note and is shadowed by Danilo Fernandes.
The Squad also has Dénis Júnior and young Gabriel, and is looking for a goalkeeper on the market to fight for the starting position.
In midfield, the competition is even greater. There are at least 11 players for four places. In addition to the new hires, experienced names such as Caio Alexandre, Jean Lucas, Cauly and Everton Ribeiro remain on the team. Midfielder Acevedo wants to regain space after spending ten months recovering from a knee injury in 2024.
An even more concrete dispute takes place in defense. With Gabriel Xavier injured, Ramos Mingo, Rezende, Vitor Hugo and David Duarte fight for a place alongside Kanu. The tendency is for Rezende to be selected among the starters.
“I think it’s important to take turns and get these players to play at the start of the championship. The pre-season needs to be extended if you want to get into the Brazilian Championship well”, said Ceni.
In 2025, Bahia seeks the fifth championship of the Copa do Nordeste. The tricolor is, alongside its rival Vitória, the biggest winner of the regional competition, both with four titles.
The last time the tricolor lifted the “ear” – as the Nordestão cup is affectionately called – was in 2021, beating Ceará in the final, at Castelão, in Fortaleza.
The Bahian team also won the event in the 2001, 2002 and 2017 editions. Sport, Ceará and Fortaleza appear next, all with three titles.
Today’s clash is a repeat of the Copa do Nordeste decision. In 2018, Bahia and Sampaio Corrêa faced each other in the final and the Maranhão team came out on top by winning the first game 1-0, at home, and holding on to a goalless draw in the second leg, at Fonte Nova.
