Bahia vs Santos Prediction: Santos is forbidden to lose

At the end of Round 23, the group of four teams that will drop down to the Série B, the Z4, became a little more distant in terms of points from 16th place, the last place that allows teams to continue in Brazil's top league. Santos remains the first team in the Z4, in 17th place, but is now four points behind Bahia and Goiás, 15th and 16th, respectively. Santos is, therefore, forbidden to lose because if that happens, the gap to Bahia increases to seven points. The Fish would then have to pray for Flamengo to beat Goiás. The Tricolor Baiano is coming off the back of a big 4-2 win at Curitiba in Rogério Ceni's promising debut as Bahia coach.

The away win against Coritiba showed that there is quality among the players. Although it was against Coxa, the last-placed team, scoring four away goals is unusual, even for the top teams in the Brasileirão, and no one can take that away from the Baianos. In the meeting with Santos, the Bahia fans will fill the stadium with their usual enthusiasm, hoping their team can win against a direct competitor. Santos' task won't be easy.

The Fish suffered its third consecutive defeat in the tournament. To make things worse, it was a home defeat and by alarming numbers, 3-0, against Cruzeiro. Currently, the club is seen as one of the main candidates for relegation to the Série B, given the mess it's in. The Santos board sacked Diego Aguirre, who became the third coach this season to be dismissed by the club. Discouragement is beginning to take hold of the players, affected by their bad performances. Every match must be seen as a final, and this game in Salvador is crucial for Santos' future. If the Fish ends the round seven points off 16th place, it will be in a delicate position in the Série A.

The Brasileirão is an unpredictable championship, with surprising results and events every week. In the last round, Bahia debuted a new coach and won 4-2 away. Now it's the turn of Santos, who will reportedly be led by an interim coach, Marcelo Fernandes, who could make some changes to the team. I'm placing my bet on Bahia to win the match, but how Santos will play remains to be seen.