The Saints opened 2-0, but conceded the draw to Bahia in the second half and it was 2-2 this Saturday (25)at Arena Fonte Nova, for the 13th round of the Brazilian Championship.
After a first half of boos and demands from the fans, Bahia came back with a different attitude and managed to change the course of the match in front of their fans, pushing Santos into the defense field.
Even without Neymar and Gabigol, the Santos started better and was in danger in the first minutes. Rony and Mayke were the most active in the attack, exploring spaces and bothering Bahia’s defense.
Santos’ pressure had an effect in the 21st minute, when the referee went to the VAR and confirmed Erick Pulga’s penalty on Bontempo. When billing, Rollheiser hit firmly and opened the scoring.
Bahia tried to react afterwards. At 24, Caio Alexandre made a long throw, the attacker beat the marking and finished strong, but the ball hit the post and went out.
Even with the visitors’ attempt to respond, Santos remained more present in the attacking field. In stoppage time, the referee awarded another penalty, this time due to a handball from Ramos Mingo.
At 48, Rollheiser returned to the penalty spot and repeated his success, hitting Léo Vieira’s left corner to expand and close the first half 2-0.
In the second half, Bahia returned more aggressive and began to occupy the attacking field from the first minutes, pushing Santos back and changing the scenario of the match.
The pressure started to pay off after 30 minutes. Luciano Juba took a free kick, saw Diógenes in advance and hit the target. The goalkeeper still touched the ball, but did not prevent the goal.
The home team continued on top and reached a draw soon after. At 37, Erick Pulga advanced quickly down the right and crossed to Willian José, who headed firmly to score the second.
With the score equal, Bahia maintained its intensity in the final minutes, while Santos tried to hold on to the result and explore counterattacks. Despite the pressure, the tie ended up prevailing until the final whistle.
In the next round, Santos returns to the field against Palmeiras on Saturday, at 6:30 pm, at Allianz Parque, in São Paulo (SP), for the 14th round of the Brasileirão. On Sunday, at 4pm, São Paulo hosts Bahia, at Cícero de Souza Marques, in Bragança Paulista (SP).
