In a turnaround, Bahia is defeated by Internacional and ends up eliminated from the Libertadores
On Wednesday night, May 28, 2025, Esporte Clube Bahia ended its participation in the Copa Libertadores da América after being defeated 2-1 by Internacional, at the Beira-Rio Stadium, in Porto Alegre. With this result, Tricolor de Aço finished third in Group F, with seven points, and secured a spot in the Copa Sul-Americana playoffs.
The Game
Bahia started the match promisingly, opening the scoring 8 minutes into the second half with a goal by Jean Lucas, after a play on the left and a rebound from goalkeeper Anthoni. However, the advantage was short-lived. In the 9th minute, Vitinho equalized for Internacional, taking advantage of a defensive lapse by Bahia. In the 30th minute, Borré scored the winning goal, sealing the victory for Colorado and Bahia’s elimination.
Campaign Analysis
Bahia started the group stage with seven points from three games, but suffered three consecutive defeats in the following matches, against Nacional (URU), Atlético Nacional (COL) and Internacional (BRA). These results jeopardized their qualification for the round of 16.
Despite the elimination, coach Rogério Ceni highlighted the importance of the experience gained and the need for maturity in decisive moments. “We did the hardest part, which was to take the lead, but we conceded the goal soon after. We lack the maturity to sustain the advantage,” said Ceni in a post-match press conference.
