Bahia will face The Strongest in the 2nd phase of the Pre-Libertadores - News Room USA

DEFINED RIVAL

Squadron will play their first game as a visitor and decide the place at home

Published on December 19, 2024 at 12:44 pm

Draw for the first stages of the Libertadores was carried out by Conmebol Credit: Conmebol/Disclosure

Bahia’s path in the search for eternal glory has already been traced. Conmebol drew, this Thursday (19), in Luque, Paraguay, the duels for the first stages of the Libertadores, and the Squadron will face The Strongest, from Bolivia,. Another national team, Corinthians, will take on Universidad Central, from Venezuela. Only four teams from this stage advance to the group dispute of the continental tournament.

The pre-Libertadores is divided into three phases. According to the regulations, Brazilian clubs go straight to the second stage, which is played in round-trip matches. The tricolor will play first on Bolivian soil and will decide the place at Arena Fonte Nova. The base dates for the duels are 02/19 (outbound) and 02/26 (return). If they advance to the third phase, Bahia will face the winner of Boston River (from Uruguay) x Ñublense (from Chile).

In total, 47 teams compete in the continental competition, 28 of which qualify directly for the group stage. Of the other 19 teams that are in the pre-Libertadores, six face each other in the first phase. The duels are a round-trip system, and only three advance. The second stage is made up of 16 teams, including Bahia and Corinthians. Once again, the clashes take place in round-trip matches.

The eight classifieds go to the third phase, where clubs from the same country can face each other. The games are scheduled for the weeks of March 5th (outbound) and March 12th (return). The four winning teams guarantee a place in the Libertadores group stage, while the four losers go to the Sudamericana.

To reach the Libertadores group stage, Bahia needs to advance in both knockout stages. The Squad also needs to go through at least one of the qualifiers to avoid running the risk of being left without an international calendar.

In addition to the Libertadores, Bahia will compete in 2025: Campeonato Baiano, Copa do Nordeste, Copa do Brasil and Brasileirão. The club’s pre-season will be held in Girona, Spain.