RB Bragantino Strike Late to Edge Ten-Man Coritiba in Serie A Opener

Juninho Capixaba’s 90th-minute winner gave RB Bragantino a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Coritiba at the Estádio Major Antônio Couto Pereira, as the Serie A season got underway with a dramatic encounter that saw both sides reduced to ten men.

The match turned on a controversial moment just past the half-hour mark when Coritiba’s Josué was initially shown a yellow card before VAR intervention upgraded it to a red, leaving the home side to play nearly an hour with a numerical disadvantage. The sending-off proved decisive as Bragantino dominated proceedings from that point, controlling 71% of possession and registering 28 shots to Coritiba’s eight.

Despite their dominance, Bragantino struggled to find a breakthrough against a resilient Coritiba defence that put bodies on the line. The visitors peppered the goal with 20 shots, including eight on target, but found Coritiba’s goalkeeper in inspired form with nine saves. The expected goals tally of 2.62 to 0.25 in Bragantino’s favour told the story of their territorial supremacy, yet they were made to wait until the dying moments for their reward.

The contest became increasingly fractious as frustration mounted, with referee Paulo Cesar Zanovelli da Silva brandishing seven yellow cards across both teams. Bragantino’s task was complicated when they too were reduced to ten men, though the VAR system worked in their favour as Pedro Henrique’s initial red card was overturned to yellow in the 55th minute.

Coritiba, despite their numerical disadvantage, showed admirable defensive discipline in their 4-1-4-1 formation, restricting clear-cut chances through compact defending. However, their attacking threat was virtually non-existent, managing just two shots on target from eight attempts.

Juninho Capixaba finally broke the deadlock in the final minute, capitalising on sustained pressure to secure all three points for the visitors. The result sees RB Bragantino, who finished 10th last season with 48 points, begin their campaign with a victory that their overall performance merited.

For Coritiba, the defeat highlights the fine margins in Serie A football, where a moment of indiscipline can define an entire match.