**Palmeiras host a hot Bahia side** — the visitors are on fire with four wins in their last five, but the home crowd and 13 head-to-head wins give the favorites a familiar edge. 🔥

Bahia's **recent form is genuinely scary** (four straight W's), while Palmeiras have been patchy lately with draws and a loss mixed in. This is a proper test for the hosts, who'll need to lock down defensively against **Bahia's attacking confidence**.

Key storylines:

- **Palmeiras' defensive block** — without Jefté and Paulinho, the midfield's got work to do; **Murilo, Gómez, and López** need to be tight
- **Bahia's momentum hunters** — **Ademir and E. Pulga** have been clinical lately, turning narrow victories into wins
- **Head-to-head weight** — Palmeiras have owned this matchup historically (13 wins to 4), which typically matters in tight league battles

Expected lineups:

- **Palmeiras**: C. Miguel, J. Piquerez, Murilo, J. López, L. Evangelista, A. Pereira, A. Giay, V. Roque
- **Bahia**: Ronaldo, L. Juba, D. Duarte, R. Gómez, Erick, N. Acevedo, E. Pulga, Ademir

Prediction:

**Palmeiras 2–1 Bahia.** The hosts lean on home advantage and historical dominance, but Bahia's form keeps this one genuinely competitive — expect goals at both ends. ⚽