KIFISIA (Interstat) — Anyelo Zagal’s 53rd-minute goal gave Kifisia a second-half lead, but Aris answered through Bruma and then took the match when Benjamin Garre scored in the 89th minute for a 2-1 victory on Sunday. The late finish capped a game that changed after a tight and physical first half, leaving Kifisia unable to protect its advantage after Zagal’s breakthrough. Aris, the visiting side, scored twice in the second half and left with the win. Kifisia scored once. The result came after Kifisia had taken the lead and Aris had steadily pushed for an equalizer before finding a winner late. Kifisia was the home team, and Aris was the visitor.

Kifisia opened with more edge in the tackle and collected two yellow cards before the break. Antonisse J. was booked in the 19th minute and Leto S. followed in the 31st. Aris had Sutalo B. booked in the 64th. The home side’s lead arrived in the 53rd when Anyelo Zagal, identified as Sagal A. in the goal summary, scored. Zagal had a 73-minute shift that included the goal, while Jorge Pombo recorded an assist over 84 minutes for Kifisia. That combination gave Kifisia the lead and a chance to close out the match, but Aris kept the game within reach. Kifisia’s early pressure produced two bookings before the half-hour mark, while Aris’s first caution came after the interval. The match remained compact until Zagal’s opener, which forced Aris to chase the game. Bruma’s response and Garre’s late finish then turned the contest. Kifisia’s goal came from Zagal and its assist from Pombo.

Aris responded through Bruma, who played 72 minutes and scored once before his involvement ended with a substitution in the 72nd minute. Kadewere T. was also part of Aris’s changes at that point. Kifisia made changes in the 73rd, with Zagal and Theodoridis D. coming off. The match grew more physical as van Eijma R. was booked for Kifisia in the 76th, Garre B. was booked for Aris in the 79th, and Fabiano followed for Aris in the 83rd. Kifisia brought off Antonisse and Pombo in the 84th, and Jagne I. entered in the 90th. Aris made late substitutions in the third minute of stoppage time, with Kouame C. and Garre B. coming off after Garre’s decisive finish. The flurry of changes and cards stretched the final stages and set up a tense finish. The home side’s changes in the 73rd and 84th minutes could not preserve the lead.

Garre’s goal in the 89th minute decided the match. He had been booked earlier in the second half and was on the field for 90 minutes, then was replaced in stoppage time after giving Aris the lead for good. The finish completed Aris’s comeback and denied Kifisia a result after its second-half goal. The win moved Aris to 2-1 in the competition and 2-1 across all competitions. Kifisia is 1-1 in the competition and 1-1 overall. Aris had entered after a 3-2 home win over Volos and a 5-0 loss at AEK, while Kifisia had beaten Panetolikos 2-0 at home. Aris is next scheduled to play Kifisias, then Atromitos, Levadeiakos, Tripolis, Olympiakos, Panathinaikos, AEK and PAOK. The result gave Aris a second win of the season in the competition and overall, while Kifisia took a first loss in both.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Kifisia 1, Aris 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Kifisia with a 63.2 percent probability to win. Aris had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.25. The total score of 3 went under the over/under line of 2.5.