Internacional vs Bahia Prediction

Right then, let's have a proper look at this Brazilian Serie A clash between Internacional and Bahia. On paper, you'd think Bahia would have the edge sitting pretty in 5th place with 52 points, while Internacional are languishing down in 15th with just 36 points. But football's never that simple, is it?

Internacional have been proper rubbish lately, mind you. Two wins in their last ten games tells its own story. They've been drawing blanks too - scoring just 0.9 goals per game recently. That 0-0 draw with Atletico-MG was their third clean sheet in four, but when you're not scoring at the other end, you're always asking for trouble.

Bahia, on the other hand, have been much better. Five wins in their last ten and they just beat Internacional 1-0 a couple of weeks back. They've had some cracking results at home too - stuffing Gremio 4-0 and beating both Flamengo and Palmeiras. But here's the kicker - they're absolutely hopeless away from home. Zero wins in their last five away trips, scoring just 0.6 goals per game on their travels. That's not just bad, that's relegation-bad.

The head-to-head makes interesting reading. Internacional have never lost to Bahia at home - four wins from four meetings. But that recent 1-0 loss to Bahia will still be fresh in the memory.

Looking at the stats, both teams are struggling to find the net. Internacional are averaging under a goal per game, and Bahia can't buy a goal away from home. The goal expectancy suggests we're looking at around 2.3 goals in total, which points towards a tight, cagey affair.

Given Internacional's home advantage against Bahia (that perfect record counts for something), but considering their terrible recent form and Bahia's away day blues, I'm expecting a proper low-scoring slog here. Neither side looks capable of putting the ball in the back of the net with any consistency.