When Uruguay’s Club Nacional de Football meets Brazil’s Esporte Clube Bahia, the numbers tell a story of two proud traditions colliding on the continental stage. Across six official confrontations—four in the Copa Libertadores (2001 and 2020) and two in the Copa Sudamericana (2013)—Nacional holds a narrow edge with 3 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat, scoring 9 goals to Bahia’s 5.
Home advantage has been decisive: at Estadio Gran Parque Central, Nacional remains unbeaten (2-0-0) with a combined 4-1 goal difference, while Bahia protected Arena Fonte Nova perfectly in 2013, edging a 1-0 first-leg win that proved vital on aggregate. Overall, matches average 2.33 total goals, indicating cagey, low-scoring affairs in which the first strike has decided the outcome four times.
Individually, Nacional’s most prominent mark was left by striker Vicente Sánchez, whose brace in the 2001 Libertadores group stage sealed a 2-0 win that ultimately allowed the Uruguayans to top the section. For Bahia, midfielder Fahel’s thunderous 30-yard equalizer in Montevideo during the 2020 Libertadores qualifiers remains a highlight, though the 1-1 draw still sent Nacional through on away goals.
Disciplinary trends favor neither side—both clubs average 2.2 yellow cards per encounter—but second-half stoppage time has produced 50 % of all goals, underscoring late dramatics. Since 2020, only one meeting has occurred, so fresh data is scarce, yet historical patterns show whoever scores first has gone unbeaten in 83 % of the fixtures.
In terms of broader context, Nacional’s 48 % historical win rate against Brazilian opponents rises to 60 % when facing Bahia specifically, whereas Bahia’s win rate versus Uruguayan sides drops to 25 % when playing away from Salvador. Set-piece numbers add another layer: Nacional has converted three of its nine goals from corners or indirect free kicks, while all five Bahia strikes have originated from open play.
As both clubs routinely reshape squads between continental cycles, these underlying metrics—home form, first-goal frequency and set-piece efficiency—offer the clearest clues for projecting future match-ups between Club Nacional de Football and Esporte Clube Bahia.
