SAO PAULO (Interstat) — Sao Paulo opened its Serie A campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory over Internacional on Wednesday at Estádio Urbano Caldeira. The home side surpassed pregame projections, which had favored a narrow win or draw, with a first-half scoring outburst.

José Sabino opened the scoring in the 21st minute. Midfielder Maik doubled the lead just before halftime in stoppage time, and forward Luciano added a third goal three minutes after the break. Substitute Gabriel Mercado provided an assist.

The result gave Sao Paulo a winning start in Brazil’s top flight, moving to 1-0-0. Internacional begins its season 0-0-1. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 draw, with Sao Paulo given a 60.6% win probability.