BANTUL, Indonesia (Interstat) — PSIM Yogyakarta opened its Liga 1 season with a 2-1 victory over Madura United on Sunday at Stadion Sultan Agung, rallying after an equalizer and then playing a man short for the final minutes.

Forward Ezequiel Vidal put the home side ahead in the 18th minute, finishing a sequence that began with a pass from defender Jop van den Avert. Madura United responded in the 34th minute when midfielder Muhammad Iqbal scored to level the match at 1-1, assisted by defender Yusaku Yamadera.

The score remained tied until the 62nd minute, when substitute Júnior Brandão found the net off an assist from midfielder Rio Hardiawan to give PSIM a 2-1 lead. Brandão, who entered the match from the bench, provided the decisive goal for the hosts.

Discipline became a factor in the second half. Van den Avert received a yellow card in the 71st minute, followed by Yamadera in the 73rd. The match turned more tense in the 86th minute when PSIM midfielder Donny Warmerdam was shown a yellow card and then, on the same sequence, a red card, reducing the home team to 10 men. Warmerdam had earlier registered an assist on one of the goals but his ejection forced PSIM to defend the narrow lead for the remainder of regulation plus four minutes of stoppage time.

Rio Hardiawan also picked up a yellow card in the 90th minute plus four, but PSIM held on to secure the three points.

The victory gave PSIM Yogyakarta a 1-0 record in Liga 1 play and across all competitions. Madura United fell to 0-1 in the league and overall.

Key individual performances included Iqbal’s goal for Madura United, Brandão’s game-winner as a substitute, and Vidal’s early strike. Van den Avert and Yamadera each contributed an assist in addition to their yellow cards, while Hardiawan also provided an assist before his late caution. Warmerdam’s impact was mixed as he recorded an assist and a yellow card before his dismissal.

The match saw a total of four yellow cards and one red card. Madura United finished without any cards shown to its players.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 draw before the match. Interstat’s ELO system gave PSIM Yogyakarta a 71.20 percent probability to win.