VIBORG, Denmark (Interstat) — Aarhus W scored three times before Viborg W mounted a late comeback, and the visitors held on for a 3-2 victory over Viborg W in a global football game Wednesday. Aarhus W improved to 1-0 in this competition and 1-3 across all competitions. Viborg W fell to 0-1 in this competition and 1-2-1 across all competitions.

Aarhus W led 2-0 at halftime after goals from Mie Lerche and Ea Rasmussen. Lerche opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, and Rasmussen doubled the lead in the 45th. Cecilie Johansen made it 3-0 in the 71st minute, giving the visitors a cushion that held until the final stretch. Johansen had been cautioned in the 52nd minute, but she still figured in the decisive scoring sequence. Aarhus W’s early lead and three-goal burst proved to be the most important part of the match, because Viborg W’s late surge came too late to change the result. The visitors controlled the first half and kept Viborg W scoreless until the closing stages.

Viborg W answered in the 76th minute when Maiken Danielsen scored during a 24-minute appearance. Laura Norskov pulled Viborg W within one in the third minute of stoppage time, but Aarhus W protected the remaining moments. Norskov played the full match and scored. Rasmussen and Lerche also played the full match and scored for Aarhus W. Johansen played the full match, scored and received a yellow card. Danielsen played 24 minutes and scored. Viborg W pressed late, but Aarhus W held its narrow margin after Norskov’s goal.

Aarhus W’s scoring was spread among Lerche, Rasmussen and Johansen, while Norskov and Danielsen supplied Viborg W’s goals. The visitors’ first-half control set the tone, and their third goal gave them enough room to absorb Viborg W’s late push. Viborg W’s comeback began with Danielsen’s finish and continued with Norskov’s stoppage-time goal, but Aarhus W managed the closing minutes without conceding again.

The disciplinary slate included Johansen’s yellow card in the 52nd minute, T. Andreassen’s yellow card for Viborg W in the 87th minute and L. Tingleff’s yellow card for Aarhus W in the 90th minute. Both teams used substitutions throughout. Aarhus W made changes in the 22nd minute with L. Aarhus, in the 69th minute with D. Jorgensen and S. Jorgensen, and in the 76th minute with M. Ahrenholt and S. Andersen. Viborg W made changes in the 66th minute with F. Kristensen and I. Gundersen, in the 78th minute with A. Hougaard, and in the 79th minute with T. Glerup and M. Dalsgaard. The substitutions did not erase Aarhus W’s advantage, although Viborg W found late goals from Danielsen and Norskov. The cards and changes added tension as the match moved into its final stages.

Aarhus W’s result followed a difficult recent run across competitions. The team had lost 3-1 to ASA Aarhus W, 2-1 to KoldingQ W and 1-0 to Odense Q W. Viborg W had entered after a 1-0 win at Osterbro W, a 2-0 home loss to B93 W and a 1-1 home draw with Osterbro W. Viborg W next hosts Aalborg W in the 2. Division Women. The match had five total goals, with Aarhus W doing most of the scoring before Viborg W’s comeback. Aarhus W’s ability to score three times before the 72nd minute ultimately offset Viborg W’s two late goals.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Viborg W 3, Aarhus W 0. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Viborg W with an 89.5 percent probability to win. The total score of 5 went under the over/under line of 3.5.