The 2025 Australian Championship kicked off in spectacular fashion on Friday night, with South Melbourne Hellas edging past Sydney Olympic 3–2 in a pulsating contest at Lakeside Stadium. The match delivered a blend of technical brilliance, late drama, and goals of the highest quality — the perfect curtain-raiser for the new national competition.
Sydney Olympic struck first in the 12th minute through debutant Ali Auglah, whose long-range rocket flew past South keeper Javi Lopes into the bottom corner. The visitors looked sharp and disciplined early, but South Melbourne gradually found rhythm through sustained pressure and set pieces.
Their persistence was rewarded just before halftime. After several near misses — including chances for Sebastian Pasquali, Nahuel Bonada, and Marco Jankovic — South equalised in stoppage time when Yuki Uchida capitalised on a loose ball in the box, smashing it home to make it 1–1 at the break.
The hosts came out firing after halftime. Within ten minutes, Oliver Lavale slid in at close range to convert from another chaotic goalmouth scramble, giving South Melbourne a 2–1 lead. Hellas pushed for a third, with Bonada and Uchida both testing the Olympic defence, but the visitors stayed dangerous on the counter.
In the 67th minute, Olympic’s Ryan Fuetz almost produced a stunning equaliser, cutting inside and rattling the post. His persistence paid off later, as in the 84th minute he unleashed a curling strike from outside the area that dipped beautifully into the top corner — 2–2, and game on again.
Just as extra time seemed possible, the match turned once more. Three minutes from time, Jordan Lampard curled a sublime side-footed finish into the top left corner to seal the win for South Melbourne. The home crowd erupted as their team secured the first three points of the season in dramatic style.
For coach and fans alike, it was a perfect start — a display of resilience and attacking flair. As one of Australia’s most historic football clubs, South Melbourne (Hellas) once again showed its championship intent.
