MELBOURNE, Australia (Interstat) — Melbourne Victory opened its A-League season with a commanding 4-0 victory over rival Sydney on Monday at AAMI Park.

The home side defied a pregame projection of a 1-1 draw, overwhelming Sydney with a second-half scoring burst. Forward Santos led the charge with two goals and an assist. He scored in the 53rd and 64th minutes.

Keegan Jelacic added a third goal in the 79th minute before defender Lachlan Jackson completed the rout three minutes later. The result marked a stark contrast to the statistical forecast, which gave Melbourne Victory just a 54.2% chance to win.

The match featured nine yellow cards. Melbourne Victory begins the campaign at 1-0-0, while Sydney starts 0-1-0.