After beating Palmeiras, Nestor warns of tough run for Bahia | OneFootball

Starting again last Sunday, Rodrigo Nestor stood out in Bahia's 1-0 victory over Palmeiras, for the 26th round of the Brasileirão. Called up to replace the suspended Jean Lucas, the number 11 player responded well and received praise from coach Rogério Ceni.

"I think Nestor performed well in many ways. He is more of a playmaker, he handles the ball well, finds good passes. He had a good run of games in the Copa do Nordeste finals, deserved this opportunity and helped the team. I think it was a good game from him," the coach evaluated, in a press conference after the match at Fonte Nova.

The numbers confirm the midfielder's good phase, who in 2025 has five goals and five assists in 39 appearances. In direct contributions to goals, this is his second best season in his career, only behind 2022, when he reached 19 contributions for São Paulo, also under Ceni's command.

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The result had extra weight for the Tricolor, who had gone four games without a win and defeated a top-table opponent. Against a Palmeiras that is competing for the title, Bahia reached 40 points, just two behind Mirassol, the last team within the G4.

The solid performance may give Nestor more opportunities precisely at the most decisive moment of the year. The next game will be against Botafogo, on Wednesday, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Nilton Santos, in a direct clash for a spot in the next Libertadores.

Botafogo, with one more game, is in 5th place and has the same 40 points as Bahia, having an advantage in goal difference. The sequence for the Esquadrão continues heavy on Sunday, when the team faces the leader Flamengo, at 6:30 pm, at Arena Fonte Nova.

"The Brasileirão has no easy game, especially in a tough sequence like this. We achieved a crucial victory against Palmeiras because we read the match well and followed our game plan. Now we need to maintain the same concentration, because these are decisive matches, which weigh directly on the table. We want to start a positive streak," said Rodrigo Nestor.

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