MELBOURNE, Australia (Interstat) — In a frenetic and dramatic A-League season opener, Melbourne Victory edged Perth Glory 3-2 on Friday night at AAMI Park, overcoming a halftime deficit with a second-half surge to claim the victory.

The match, which defied pregame projections that heavily favored the hosts, delivered five goals and a momentum shift that energized the crowd of 18,237. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 2-1 Victory win, with its ELO system giving Melbourne an 89.4 percent probability to win, but Perth Glory fiercely contested that narrative from the outset.

Perth’s Trent Ostler, entering the match as a substitute, made an immediate impact. In the 12th minute, he put the visiting Glory ahead 1-0 with a well-taken finish. Ostler’s influential first half continued as he provided the assist for Perth’s second goal, scored by midfielder Louis D’Arrigo in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time. The goal came just three minutes after Ostler himself received a yellow card in the 42nd minute. D’Arrigo’s strike sent Perth into the break with a surprising 2-0 lead, stunning the home supporters.

Melbourne Victory emerged from the interval transformed. The comeback began swiftly in the 53rd minute when forward Nishan Velupillay halved the deficit, making it 2-1. The equalizer arrived 16 minutes later, as fellow forward Santos found the net in the 69th minute to level the score at 2-2 and swing the match’s momentum decisively in Victory’s favor.

The comeback was completed by another substitute, Khoa Ngo, who scored the decisive goal for Melbourne in the 79th minute, securing the 3-2 final score. The assist on Ngo’s winner was credited to Nicholas Pennington, who had come off the bench and received a yellow card in the 71st minute. Perth’s Charbel Shamoon, also a substitute, recorded an assist and was shown a yellow card in the 51st minute.

With the result, Melbourne Victory begins its A-League campaign and overall season with a record of 1 win and 0 losses. Perth Glory starts its competition and overall season with a record of 0 wins and 1 loss. The match served as a compelling opening to the Australian football calendar, characterized by impactful substitutions and a resilient response from the preseason favorites.