KOLOSSI, Cyprus (Interstat) — Aris Limassol capitalized on a rapid second-half response to secure a 2-1 victory over Aris in a tightly contested Cypriot First Division match Sunday at Alphamega Stadium.

The result, which aligned with a pregame projection from Interstat, handed Aris Limassol a winning start to its league campaign while leaving its namesake opponent searching for its first points.

Aris, the visiting side, defied the statistical expectations early. Against the flow of play, they grabbed a surprising lead in the 21st minute. Rody Effaghe found the breakthrough, silencing the home supporters and putting the underdogs in front.

That advantage held until the dying moments of the first half. Just before the interval, in the 47th minute, Aris Limassol’s Luther Singh leveled the match. The equalizer shifted the momentum squarely toward the hosts and set the stage for a decisive opening to the second period.

Aris Limassol needed only six minutes after the restart to complete the turnaround. In the 53rd minute, Zakaria Sawo scored what proved to be the winning goal, completing a swift attacking sequence that overturned the deficit in a span of just six minutes of game time across both halves.

The home side managed the remainder of the match effectively, seeing out the victory without further major incident. The final score of 2-1 confirmed the prediction of Interstat’s game simulator. The analytics firm’s ELO rating system had given Aris Limassol a 58.5 percent probability of winning prior to kickoff.

With the result, Aris Limassol begins its 2025-26 First Division season with a perfect record of one win and no losses, a mark that also reflects its overall record across all competitions. For Aris, the defeat marks an 0-1 start both in the league and in all matches this season.

The match was a showcase of resilience from the home club, which overcame an early setback to control the match’s critical period. The quick one-two punch spanning halftime ultimately decided the fixture in front of the home fans in Kolossi.