(Interstat) — Sitra opened its Bahrain Premier League season with a 2-1 road victory over Al Ahli on Sunday, defying pre-match projections.

The match at Sheikh Ali bin Mohammed Stadium in Al-Muḥarraq saw Sitra strike first. Yassine Chamakhi scored in the 19th minute, and Karl Namnganda doubled the lead in the 34th. Al Ahli answered after halftime with a 53rd-minute goal from Sayed Mahdi Sharaf but could not find an equalizer.

The result was an upset. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 2-1 win for Al Ahli, which was given a 54.3 percent probability to win by its ELO system. Sitra begins league play at 1-0, while Al Ahli starts 0-1.