Atlético-MG defeated Bahia 3-0 at Arena MRV in the 32nd round of the Brazilian Championship on Wednesday (November 5). Hulk scored his 500th career goal in the first goal of the match, followed by Igor Gomes and Biel. The win came after Bahia's defender Kanu was sent off.
The match started evenly, with Bahia creating the best chances in the first half. At the 12th minute, Michel Araújo dribbled past Rubens and shot from outside the area, threatening Everson's goal. Soon after, Thaciano received in depth and shot at close range, but the goalkeeper saved. Atlético-MG responded with Guilherme Arana, who advanced with Bernard and shot with a deflection, nearly fooling Ronaldo. At the 29th minute, Hulk started the play, passed to Dudu, and on the rebound, shot hard, but the ball exploded off the Bahia goalkeeper's chest.
In the second half, Dudu opened the scoring, but the goal was disallowed for offside on Guilherme Arana. At the 21st minute, Hulk capitalized on a rebound after a deflection off Rezende and struck into Ronaldo's corner, making it 1-0 and reaching 500 career goals. Igor Gomes extended the lead at the 30th minute with an angled shot from a free kick. Biel, coming off the bench, sealed the score by chipping over Ronaldo's legs after a speedy run.
Hulk, Atlético-MG's top scorer of the century with 133 goals in 281 games, surpassed Dadá Maravilha as the all-time top scorer against Bahia with six goals. His best season was 2021, with 36 goals in 68 games. In the next round, Atlético-MG faces Sport on Saturday (November 8) at 4 p.m. at Ilha do Retiro, while Bahia plays Internacional at 6:30 p.m. at Beira-Rio.