RIO CUARTO, Argentina (Interstat) — Estudiantes opened its Primera B Nacional campaign with a 2-0 victory over Gimnasia y Tiro on Saturday, overcoming a slow start to secure a win that defied a pregame statistical projection.

Playing at Estadio Ciudad de Río Cuarto, the home side was held in check for the opening half-hour before breaking through and eventually cruising to a comfortable victory. The result handed Gimnasia y Tiro a loss to begin its season in Argentina’s second-tier football league.

The match’s turning point came in the 32nd minute when forward Javier Ferreira opened the scoring for Estudiantes. The goal settled the home team after a tentative opening and shifted the momentum firmly in its favor.

Estudiantes doubled its lead in the 68th minute through a goal from forward Lucas González. The insurance marker sealed the three points for the hosts, who controlled the match following Ferreira’s first-half strike.

The match was notably physical, with three yellow cards issued in a span of 18 minutes during the second half. The contest’s most significant disciplinary action, however, was a red card shown to Gimnasia y Tiro’s Gonzalo Bravo in the 57th minute. The sending-off, which occurred just before Estudiantes scored its second goal, left the visiting side a man down for the final third of the match and severely hampered any chance of a comeback.

Key contributions came from the substitutes’ bench for Estudiantes. Lautaro Montoya, Gabriel Díaz and Nicolás Rinaldi were each credited with an assist after entering the match. Díaz and Rinaldi were also among the players shown yellow cards in the second half.

The final score was a surprise compared to the pregame forecast from Interstat, whose game simulator had projected a 1-1 draw. The same analytics system had given Estudiantes an 80.70 percent probability to win the match outright.

With the victory, Estudiantes begins its season with a record of 1 win and 0 losses in the Primera B Nacional, and an identical record across all competitions. Gimnasia y Tiro starts its campaign with a record of 0 wins and 1 loss in both the league and in all competitions.