VIENNA (Interstat) — Kapfenberger SV delivered a significant upset to open the Austrian 2. Liga season on Friday, defeating First Vienna 2-1 at the Care-Energy Naturarena Hohe Warte behind late-match heroics from defender Moritz Jerabek.

The visitors, who entered the match as heavy underdogs according to pregame projections, twice came from behind to snatch all three points from the favored hosts in a dramatic finish deep into second-half stoppage time.

The match began against the statistical grain, with First Vienna applying early pressure. Their efforts were rewarded in the 15th minute when substitute Ben Heuser, who had just entered the fray, found the net to give the home side a 1-0 lead. The goal stood through the remainder of the first half as Vienna looked to validate the pregame analytics that heavily favored them. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of 2-1 for First Vienna, and its ELO rating system gave the club a 75.40 percent probability to win.

Kapfenberger SV, undeterred, found an equalizer just before halftime. In the 43rd minute, another substitute made an immediate impact. Moritz Berg leveled the score at 1-1, with the assist credited to defender Marco Gantschnig. The goal shifted momentum heading into the break and set the stage for a tense second half.

The physicality of the match intensified after the restart, reflected in a series of yellow cards. Kapfenberger SV’s Gantschnig was booked in the 58th minute, followed by First Vienna midfielder Jürgen Bauer in the 83rd. Kapfenberger defender Santino Pistrol received a yellow in the 88th minute as the visitors pressed for a winner.

That decisive blow came in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time. With the match seemingly headed for a draw, Jerabek rose to the occasion. The defender scored the game-winning goal, assisted by Bauer, sending the traveling supporters into delirium and sealing a 2-1 victory for Kapfenberger SV.

The result provides a perfect start to the 2. Liga campaign for Kapfenberger SV, improving their season record in the competition to one win and no losses. For First Vienna, the defeat marks a disappointing beginning to their season, leaving them with a record of no wins and one loss. The records across all competitions for both clubs are identical to their league starts.

The victory was built on impactful performances from Kapfenberger’s bench and defense. Substitutes Berg and Heuser provided the crucial goals, while defenders Jerabek and Gantschnig contributed a goal and an assist, respectively. Bauer’s late assist capped the comeback for the visitors, who defied the odds to secure a vital away win to open the season.