BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (Interstat) — Alan Franco scored in the opening minute to lift Atletico Mineiro to a 1-0 victory over Ceara SC in a Carioca Série A match at Arena MRV on Saturday. The midfielder’s early strike, assisted by Júnior Alonso, was the game’s only goal. The result aligned with projections from Interstat, which gave the home side an 89.6 percent chance to win. The match was the season opener for both clubs in the Brazilian competition. Gustavo Scarpa, Rony and Guilherme Arana received late yellow cards for Atletico Mineiro in the physical contest. Ceara SC failed to generate a response, suffering a shutout loss on the road.