Athletico come from behind against Bahia, keep 3rd in Brasileirão | OneFootball

Athletico had to respond to secure another win in the Brazilian Championship. This Sunday, the 20th, the Paraná side beat Bahia 2-1 at Arena da Baixada in the 28th round and held on to third place in the competition.

Furacão took the lead through Lucas Esquivel, conceded the equalizer still in the first half, but regained control after the break. The response came in the 24th minute of the second half, when Jorge Rivaldo appeared in the box to finish off the move created by Kerwin Vargas.

The Colombian put the home side back in front. With the result, Athletico reached 49 points and remains three points ahead of Bahia, who have 46. The Bahia side dropped one place in the table after the defeat in Curitiba.

Esquivel opens the scoring

Athletico started the match trying to impose its rhythm in front of its fans. The team pressed Bahia’s build-up and found spaces to create the first attacking moves. In the 16th minute, that pressure led to the opening goal. Kerwin Vargas got in behind the defense and squared it to the far post.

Lucas Esquivel arrived unmarked and finished past goalkeeper Ronaldo to put Furacão ahead. The goal confirmed the hosts’ strong start, as they controlled possession and made it difficult for Bahia to play out. The lead, however, lasted only ten minutes.

In the 26th minute, Marcos Victor sent a cross into the box and Mycael failed to hold onto the ball. Erick Pulga pounced on the rebound and fired home to level the score. The equalizer changed the course of the match in Curitiba.

The team coached by Rogério Ceni began to enjoy more possession and managed to balance the game until halftime. Athletico, who had started on the front foot, needed to reorganize midfield to find spaces again.

Jorge Rivaldo makes the difference in the second half

After the break, Furacão regained intensity. The Paraná side resumed pressing and began to focus mainly on attacks down the flanks. In the 69th minute, the strategy paid off. Kerwin Vargas drove forward on the left, reached the byline and cut the ball back.

Jorge Rivaldo got in front of Kanu and struck firmly to score Athletico’s second goal. It was Rivaldo’s first goal in the Brazilian Championship in four appearances. Vargas, meanwhile, recorded his third assist of the competition.

The goal restored Athletico’s lead and forced Bahia to adopt a more attacking approach in the closing minutes. Esquadrão de Aço tried to respond late on and had an important chance in the 90th minute.

Luciano Juba collected the rebound, shifted to his right and curled an effort on target, but Mycael made a great save to preserve Athletico’s lead. The Paraná side still found room to counterattack and managed the result until the final whistle.

With 49 points, Athletico remains in third place and keeps its distance from Bahia, who stay on 46. In the next round, Furacão host Atlético-MG, while Bahia visit Palmeiras. The matches are scheduled for October.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.