Atletico Paranaense 2-1 Bahia
Atletico Paranaense secured a 2-1 victory over Bahia at the Arena da Baixada in the 28th round of Brazil's Série A on Saturday evening. The result keeps the hosts third in the table with 49 points, while Bahia remain fifth on 46 points after dropping two more.
Lucas Esquivel opened the scoring in the 16th minute, giving Atletico an early advantage. But Bahia responded quickly — Erick Pulga equalised just ten minutes later in the 26th. And here's the thing about that period: both sides were looking to impose themselves, and the game swung on those first two goals.
The second half saw Bahia edge ahead when Jorge Rivaldo found the net in the 69th minute. Then came the drama. A VAR penalty was awarded to Everaldo Stum in the 91st minute, but the Bahian striker missed from the spot. By then, Bahia were already reduced to ten men after Odair Hellmann's red card in the 96th minute.
The statistics tell a simple story. Both teams enjoyed 50 per cent possession, but Atletico were more clinical with six shots on target compared to Bahia's three. Bahia created more with 1.14 expected goals, yet Atletico's 0.74 proved sufficient. To be fair, the visitors kept their heads under pressure and almost snatched a point from the penalty spot.
Atletico's recent form has been unpredictable — three draws in their last five across both ends of the spectrum. Bahia, meanwhile, had extended an unbeaten run with wins against Remo and RB Bragantino. This result interrupted that momentum, though the table gap remains tight at three points.
