FORTALEZA, Brazil (Interstat) — Substitute Ricardo Mathias scored two goals in a stunning seven-minute span to lead Internacional to a 2-1 comeback victory over Ceara SC on Thursday night in a Carioca Série A match at Estádio Castelão.

The match, a chaotic and ill-tempered affair that featured three red cards, was decided by a late flurry of goals after a defensive struggle for most of the contest.

International improved its record in the competition to one win and zero losses, while Ceara SC begins its campaign with zero wins and one loss. The result also marked the first win of the season for Internacional across all competitions, while Ceara SC suffered its first defeat.

The game was turned on its head in the fourth minute when Ceara SC was forced to play a man down after defender Vinicius Vina was shown a straight red card. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the home side defended resolutely for over an hour.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 76th minute by Ceara SC substitute Vitinho, who capitalized on an assist from forward Pedro Raul to stun the visitors and give the shorthanded home team a 1-0 lead.

The lead was short-lived. Internacional’s Mathias, who had also entered the game as a substitute, leveled the score just four minutes later in the 80th minute, finishing a pass from midfielder Dieguinho.

Mathias struck again in the 87th minute to complete the comeback, this time converting a setup from fellow substitute Luis Otávio to put Internacional ahead 2-1.

The match’s disciplinary issues escalated in the final stages. Internacional was reduced to 10 men in the 79th minute when Bruno Tabata received a red card, momentarily leveling the playing field before Mathias’ winner. Ceara SC then had a second player sent off in the 89th minute when Johan Carbonero was dismissed, finishing the match with nine men.

The frantic finish defied pregame projections. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Internacional 1, Ceara SC 0. The same outlet’s ELO system had given Internacional a 75.90 percent probability to win.

The match was marked by cautions from the start, with Dieguinho of Internacional shown a yellow card in the first minute. Pedro Raul of Ceara SC was booked in first-half stoppage time, and Internacional’s Luis Otávio received a yellow card in the 58th minute.