Fluminense and Bahia draw in Thiago Silva's reunion with fans

On a windy day in Rio de Janeiro, Maracanã had less than 13 thousand attendees, no goals and a lightning-fast debut for defender Thiago Silva at home: in the first game in Rio since his return, he entered the final stretch of the first half at Maracanã and left before half-way through the second. With the result, Fluminense reached 34 points, placing fourth. Bahia now has 32 points, in fifth.

Since the World Cup break, Fluminense recorded their third draw. Before, they had been tied with Red Bull Bragantino and Grêmio. Draws are also part of Bahia's routine. The current series is also three games equal: in addition to Flu, Atlético-MG and Corinthians.

In the next round, Fluminense has the classic against Botafogo, on August 8th.

But first, one more rival ahead: Vasco, in the round of 16 round of 16 matches of the Copa do Brasil. The first game is Saturday, at 5:30 pm. Interestingly, Vasco is the one who will be in Bahia's path in the next round of the Brasileirão, on the 9th. Thiago Silva returns, but plays little

Thiago Silva's return to Maracanã was a chapter in itself. And it was difficult to understand even before any official demonstration by Flu.

The defender took to the field in the 41st minute of the first half, when Freytes was injured.

Thiago immediately assumed the role of captain and was a hope of security for the fans, not only on the defensive side, but in set pieces. So much so that in the second half he almost scored a goal, appearing in the area to head in after a corner. It was one of Flu's few chances of danger so far.

But Thiago was replaced 16 minutes into the second half, giving way to Igor Rabello. From the outside, it looked like a certain muscular discomfort. Before Thiago Silva

The game before Thiago Silva was very monotonous. On a day when Rio de Janeiro was shaken by a gale and a lack of light, the players seemed a little disconnected. Wrong passes on both sides and little creativity marked the first half.

Lucho Acosta, in his first match since the information came out that he is being investigated for a yellow card against Red Bull Bragantino, performed discreetly. After Thiago Silva

The game was already more open, due to the change in posture and players on both teams. Soteldo, for example, almost scored the goal with a good left-handed finish, but goalkeeper Ronaldo saved it.

In an attempt to increase the dynamism in the construction, Fluminense even ran into referee Raphael Claus, literally. And the guy with the whistle immediately fell to the ground in a collision with Hulk. To complete the picturesque move, Hércules even hit him with a jackpot.

Fluminense had more impetus to seek the goal. So much so that Canobbio had a clear chance, face to face with Ronaldo. But the striker was unable to finish with space and was blocked by Bahia's goalkeeper.

Rogério Ceni's team, on the other hand, failed in the most acute passes up front. And look, Everton Ribeiro was already in action. Fluminense had a chance until the last move. But he failed, and the draw prevailed.

Technical sheet

Fluminense 0 x 0 Bahia

Location: Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro (RJ)Date/Time: 7/29/2026, at 9:30 pmReferee: Raphael Claus (Fifa-SP)Assistants: Danilo Simon Manis (Fifa-SP) and Leila Moreira da Cruz (Fifa-GO)Yellow cards: Ignácio (FLU); Erick Pulga (BAH)Goals:-

Fluminense: Fábio, Samuel Xavier, Ignácio, Freytes (Thiago Silva, later, Igor Rabello) and Renê; Martinelli (Hercules), Nonato and Lucho Acosta (Savarino); Canobbio, Soteldo and Hulk (Cano). Coach: Luís Zubeldía.

Bahia: Ronaldo, Román Gómez, Marcos Victor, Ramos Mingo and Luciano Juba (Michel Araújo); Acevedo, Jean Lucas (David Martins), Rodrigo Nestor; Ademir (Everton Ribeiro), Erick Pulga (Kauê Furquim) and Alejo Véliz (Willian José). Coach: Rogério Ceni.