GORI, Georgia (Interstat) — Dila Gori rallied from an early deficit to defeat Slovakia’s DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda 2-1 on Friday in UEFA Europa Conference League play, overcoming pregame projections that heavily favored the visitors.

The match, staged at Stadioni Tengiz Burjanadze, saw the home side improve its record in the competition to three wins, one loss and one draw. DAC 1904 fell to 0-1 in its tournament campaign.

Against the odds, DAC opened the scoring in the 10th minute through Barney Stewart. The visitors doubled their lead just 11 minutes later when Finn Yeats found the net, putting Dila in a significant early hole. DAC’s Julius Eskesen added a third goal for the visitors in the second minute of first-half stoppage time, making the score 3-0 at the break.

Dila began its comeback in the 33rd minute. Attacker Thierry Mikael Gale, who played the full match, scored to cut the deficit to 3-1 and ignite the home supporters.

The decisive moment arrived in the 77th minute. Defender Alef Santos de Araujo, a 5-foot-8 native of Salvador, Brazil, pushed forward and scored the equalizing goal, completing Dila’s fightback and securing a crucial three points in group stage play.

The match was a physical affair, with eight yellow cards issued by the officiating crew. DAC 1904’s Vicko Ševelj received the first booking in the 20th minute. Dila’s Zurab Tevzadze was cautioned in the 67th minute and teammate Revaz Chiteishvili was booked in the 79th. DAC’s Carlos Alexandre Reis Pinto received a yellow card in the 83rd minute amid the tense closing stages.

The result defied statistical forecasts. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 draw, while its ELO rating system gave DAC 1904 a 66.5% probability of victory prior to kickoff.

Dila, which now holds a record of three wins, three losses and one draw across all competitions this season, will look to build on the momentum from this comeback victory. The Georgian club’s recent form in the Conference League has been strong, with this win marking its third in five outings.

DAC 1904, which fell to 1-1 across all competitions, must regroup quickly. The Slovak club faces a domestic fixture against Spartak Trnava in the Super Liga on Sunday. The teams are scheduled to meet again in Conference League play on May 3, when DAC will host Icelandic side Víkingur.

For Dila, the victory provides a significant boost in its pursuit of advancement in European competition, demonstrating resilience after a difficult start to the match.