RECIFE, Brazil (Interstat) — Flamengo delivered a commanding performance on the road, overwhelming Sport Recife 5-1 in a Carioca Série A match Saturday at Itaipava Arena Pernambuco that was dramatically altered by a pair of first-half red cards.

The match, which saw the visitors score four unanswered goals in the second half, defied the pregame projection from Interstat, whose simulator had forecast a 1-1 draw. The outlet’s ELO system, however, had heavily favored Flamengo, giving them an 89.50 percent probability to win.

Flamengo’s Pablo Felipe opened the scoring in the 15th minute, setting the tone for the visitors. The match’s trajectory shifted decisively just after the half-hour mark. Sport Recife’s Matheus Alexandre received his second yellow card of the match in the 37th minute, forcing the home side to play a man down.

The situation deteriorated further for Sport Recife just five minutes later. Defender Ramon Menezes, who had been booked earlier, was shown a red card in the 42nd minute, reducing his team to nine players.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Sport Recife managed a response. Luiz Araújo found the net in the 41st minute, momentarily leveling the score at 1-1.

Any hope of a resilient stand from the shorthanded home squad was extinguished in the second half as Flamengo capitalized ruthlessly. Juninho, a second-half substitute, restored Flamengo’s lead with a goal in the 61st minute. The floodgates then opened, with Bruno Henrique scoring just two minutes later in the 63rd minute. Ayrton Lucas added a fourth goal in the 71st minute, and fellow substitute Douglas Telles completed the rout with a goal in the 80th minute.

The match was a physical affair, with six yellow cards issued in addition to the two dismissals. Flamengo’s Riquelme and substitutes João Victor and Saúl were each credited with an assist in the victory.

The result improves Flamengo’s record in the Carioca Série A to two wins and one loss this season. Their overall record across all competitions also stands at two wins and one loss. For Sport Recife, the loss marks their first in this competition, leaving them with a record of zero wins and one loss. Their overall record across all competitions is two wins and one loss.

Flamengo entered the match following a split in a recent pair of games against rival Fluminense, having won 4-2 at home on Oct. 3 before losing 2-1 on the road on Oct. 4. Sport Recife had previously secured two victories over Fortaleza, winning 3-2 on the road on Oct. 7 and 3-2 at home on Oct. 8.