BELGRADE (Interstat) — Nikola Furtula scored three goals and Graficar defeated visiting Teleoptik 4-1 on Monday in a Prva Liga match in Serbia. Furtula’s hat trick headlined a strong attacking performance for the home side, which led 2-0, absorbed a brief response from Teleoptik and then pulled away again before the break and early in the second half. Darko Lazic also scored for Graficar, while Nikola Popovic netted Teleoptik’s only goal. The result moved Graficar to 3-7-1 in the competition and overall, while Teleoptik fell to 1-6-4 in the competition and across all competitions.

Graficar opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Lazic finished, giving the home team an early advantage. Graficar’s early goal set the tone, and the home side kept pressing for a second. Furtula doubled the lead in the 30th minute, converting during a stretch in which Graficar controlled possession and created the clearer chances. Teleoptik responded in the 41st minute when Popovic scored, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and briefly restoring hope for the visitors. That hope lasted only three minutes. Furtula scored again in the 44th minute, sending Graficar into halftime with a 3-1 lead.

Furtula completed his hat trick in the 53rd minute, scoring his third goal and pushing Graficar’s advantage to 4-1. The goal capped the most important passage of the match and effectively removed any doubt about the outcome. Teleoptik could not produce another response after the interval. Popovic, who scored Teleoptik’s goal, was shown a yellow card in the 26th minute. Graficar’s Vasiljevic was booked in the 80th minute. Furtula finished with three goals in 88 minutes, while Lazic played 90 minutes and scored once. Popovic played the full 90 minutes for Teleoptik, scoring once and receiving a yellow card.

Both teams used substitutions to try to change the match. Teleoptik made a change at halftime, bringing on Mohammed. Graficar responded in the 53rd minute with Hajdin. Teleoptik then made three changes in the 63rd minute, sending on Vukovic, Jovanovic and Ninic. Graficar brought on Nikolic in the same minute. Teleoptik’s Scepovic entered in the 72nd minute. Graficar made three late changes in the 88th minute, with Vasiljevic, Obasi and Furtula coming off. The substitutions did not alter the scoreline after Furtula’s third goal, and Graficar saw out the closing stages with the four-goal total intact.

Teleoptik’s season has been difficult in the Prva Liga, and the loss kept the visiting side on one win, six losses and four draws in league play and overall. Graficar’s win improved its league and overall mark to three wins, seven losses and one draw. Graficar had entered the match looking to build on recent form and found its scoring touch through Lazic and Furtula. Teleoptik, meanwhile, remained in search of consistency after a run of results that included narrow defeats, draws and a high-scoring loss. The match was organized by the Prva Liga in Serbia.

Teleoptik’s upcoming slate includes Bor at home, trips to Metalac GM, Vrsac and TSC, home matches against Javor-Matis and Subotica, visits to Ub and Krusevac, and home games with Smederevo and Vozdovac. Graficar will travel to TSC, host Javor-Matis, travel to Ub, host Subotica, host Krusevac, travel to Smederevo, host Vozdovac, travel to Loznica, host Naftagas and travel to Dubocica. Both sides will continue league competition with the same records after the result.

Before the match, Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Graficar 1, Teleoptik 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Graficar with a 76.7 percent probability to win. The actual final score was Graficar 4, Teleoptik 1. The simulator and ELO projections were released before kickoff.