RIO DE JANEIRO (Interstat) — Fluminense opened its Serie A campaign with a 2-0 victory over EC Bahia on Sunday at Estadio Jornalista Mário Filho.

After a scoreless first half, midfielder Ganso broke the deadlock in the 75th minute. Defender Thiago Silva added a second goal eight minutes later, sealing the win. Both Fluminense goals were assisted by substitutes, with Nicolás Acevedo and Erick Pulga providing the key passes.

The result defied a pregame projection from Interstat, whose simulator had predicted a 1-0 win for Bahia. The firm’s ELO rating system, however, heavily favored the hosts.

The match featured five yellow cards. Fluminense begins the Brazilian top-flight season at 1-0, while Bahia starts 0-1.