Corinthians debuted in the Brazilian Championship with a 2-1 loss to Bahia on Wednesday night (January 28), at Vila Belmiro. The black-and-white team took the lead with a goal from Breno Bidon but suffered a comeback with strikes from Jean Lucas and Willian José still in the first half.
Corinthians, led by Dorival Júnior, opened the scoring at the 12th minute when Breno Bidon struck a precise shot from outside the area after a built-up play in midfield. However, Bahia responded swiftly: Jean Lucas equalized with a curled shot into Hugo Souza's top corner, capitalizing on a mistake in Corinthians' build-up during a quick counterattack.
In first-half stoppage time, Willian José turned the game around from the penalty spot, sending the keeper the wrong way after Hugo Souza fouled Ademir in the box. Esporte Clube Bahia celebrated the win on their official Twitter account: "TRIUNFO EM SÃO PAULO! Esquadrão vence o Corinthians na estreia do Brasileirão: 2 a 1. De virada, com gols de Jean Lucas e Willian José, na Vila Belmiro. VAMOOOOOOO! #TudoTemBahia #BBMP".
In the second half, the Timão pushed forward with substitutions including Rodrigo Garro and others, but were thwarted by Bahia's solid defense and reliable goalkeeper Ronaldo. Despite 10 minutes of added time, individual errors and vulnerability to long balls prevented a Corinthians comeback. The loss highlights early defensive issues for Dorival Júnior's side.
Next, Corinthians faces Flamengo in the Supercopa do Brasil on Sunday (February 1), while Bahia takes on Porto Sport Clube in the Campeonato Baiano on the same day.
