Bahia ended an eight-match winless run with a 2-1 comeback victory over Botafogo on Saturday night at Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, in Round 18 of the Brazilian Championship. The result was shaped by Botafogo goalkeeper Neto’s red card late in the first half, which left the visitors with 10 men for most of the match.
Botafogo struck first through Huguinho, who put the Rio de Janeiro side ahead. But Bahia took control after the numerical advantage and turned the game around with goals that ultimately secured three valuable points for the home team. Ferraresi scored an own goal, and David Duarte found the net for Bahia in the comeback win.
With the victory, Bahia reached 26 points and moved up to sixth place in the standings, strengthening its position in the top half of the table. Botafogo remained on 22 points and dropped to 11th after failing to protect its early lead. The result gave Bahia a much-needed lift after a difficult stretch without a win.
The match was played on May 30, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. local time, with an attendance of 25,249 fans and revenue of R$698,096.30. Davi de Oliveira Lacerda officiated the game, assisted by Douglas Pagung and Pedro Amorim de Freitas, while Marcio Henrique de Gois handled the VAR.
Bahia’s lineup featured Ronaldo in goal; Gilberto, David Duarte, Ramos Mingo and Zé Guilherme; Erick, Caio Alexandre and Rodrigo Nestor; Kike Olivera, Erick Pulga and Willian José. Coach Rogério Ceni made several changes during the match, including the entries of Sanabria, Everton Ribeiro, Ademir, Everaldo and Marcos Victor.
Botafogo started with Neto; Mateo Ponte, Ferraresi, Justino and Alex Telles; Huguinho and Medina; Lucas Villalba, Montoro and Kauan Toledo; and Arthur Cabral. Coach Franclim Carvalho adjusted his team after the sending-off, bringing on Chris Ramos, Newton, Santi Rodríguez and Matheus Martins in an effort to recover.
The result came at an important moment for Bahia, which will not play again until mid-July because of the pause for the Club World Cup. The team’s next scheduled match is away to Atlético-MG, though the Brazilian Football Confederation has not yet confirmed the date, time or venue. Botafogo, meanwhile, will need to regroup after a disappointing defeat that interrupted its push up the table.
