Winless Chapecoense welcome Bahia to Santa Catarina on Sunday, as they seek to end a terrible start to their Campeonato Brasileiro campaign.

While O Verdao sit in the early-season relegation zone, their visitors remain inside the top half of the table, despite losing a high-scoring game last time out.

Match preview

Having failed to pick up their first victory of the season, with only four points from eight Serie A games so far, Chapecoense seem set for a long and arduous battle against the drop unless they can address their defensive deficiencies.

Head coach Jair Ventura had hoped that his team could build momentum following a weekend draw against one of Brazil's top sides, Athletico Paranaense, as they scored in stoppage time to salvage a 2-2 draw.

However, Chape contrived to lose 3-2 at Fortaleza in midweek, despite having a one-man advantage for most of the second half after the hosts' Juan Sebastian Quintero was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Despite having an extra body for much of the game, Ventura's men gave up two-thirds of the possession to their high-flying opponents and allowed 22 shots on goal. That will have to improve on Sunday, as they face one of Serie A's top-scoring teams having already conceded a league-high 15 goals so far this term.

Including this weekend's encounter with Bahia, three of Chapecoense's next four league matches will be at home, so an opportunity to turn things around at their Arena Conda headquarters certainly exists for the struggling side.

Still sitting seventh in the standings, Copa do Nordeste winners Bahia have suffered back-to-back defeats during the past week, after having a three-match unbeaten run ended by Palmeiras at the weekend and then falling to a 4-3 loss at home to America MG last time out.

Even though they enjoyed utter domination of the ball - with 72% possession - coach Dado Cavalcanti's team found themselves three goals down after 73 minutes, with only a stoppage-time flourish from striker Gilberto salvaging a respectable scoreline.

The Tricolor may have finished inside the bottom half of the table in each of the last four seasons, but were within one win of reaching the summit just last week, so can be satisfied with their start all told.

Nonetheless, having allowed one winless outfit to earn their first league victory of the season on Wednesday, they must avoid doing so again versus Chapecoense to stop that early momentum being frittered away.

With four testing fixtures to follow in short order before Cavalcanti's men get their Copa do Brasil campaign underway later this month, the former Coritiba manager will be keen to take all three points home to Salvador this weekend.

Team News

Bahia's leading goalscorer Gilberto, who has six league goals so far, ended his three-match barren run in a losing cause last time out, so will once more lead the line with assistance from chief creator Rossi.

The visitors' only major injury absentees are midfielder Juan Pablo Ramirez - who sustained a cruciate ligament injury earlier this year and is expected to remain sidelined until the autumn - and Argentine centre-back German Conti.

For Chapecoense, meanwhile, winger Kaio returned as a substitute in midweek, following injury, so could now start if required.

Manager Jair Ventura has concerns over Joilson, Tiepo, Busanello and Leo Gomes - all of whom could be missing on Sunday - while he must decide between midweek goalscorers Pedro Perotti and Anselmo Ramon up front.

Chapecoense possible starting lineup:
Ribeiro Sovinski; Derlan, Santana, Ezequiel; Gebing, Lima, Ravanelli, Ronei; Mike, Perotti, Fernandinho

Bahia possible starting lineup:
Teixeira; Ruiz, Juninho, Fonseca, Guedes; De Lucca, Jonas; Thaciano, Araujo, Rossi; Gilberto

We say: Chapecoense 1-2 Bahia

Goals are to be expected in Santa Catarina this weekend, as both Bahia and Chapecoense come into this fixture having just featured in high-scoring games and are among the league's top scorers and worst defensive sides respectively.

Chape simply cannot find a way to win or even create enough scoring opportunities, so they may have to wait a little while longer to get off the mark as they are faced with an opposition that are more fluent in the final third.

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