TBILISI (Interstat) — Iberia 1999 scored three times before halftime and held off Torpedo Kutaisi for a 3-2 victory in a global football match. Zviad Natchkebia led Iberia 1999 with one goal and one assist, Amiran Dzagania scored once, Vladimer Mamuchashvili and Felipe Pires scored for Torpedo Kutaisi, Giorgi Beridze added a goal for Iberia 1999, and Diego Deisadze and Vahid Selimovic each recorded an assist. The home side built a commanding lead and then absorbed pressure after the break. Five players scored in the match. Iberia 1999 held the lead through the final minutes.

Iberia 1999 set the tone early. Natchkebia opened the scoring in the 17th minute, Dzagania doubled the lead in the 27th, and Beridze made it 3-0 in the 40th. The first-half burst gave Iberia 1999 control and forced Torpedo Kutaisi to chase the game. Torpedo Kutaisi went into halftime facing a three-goal deficit. Iberia 1999’s first-half goals came in a 23-minute span, and the home side took a 3-0 lead into the interval.

Torpedo Kutaisi responded after the break. Mamuchashvili scored in the 49th minute, and Felipe Pires pulled Torpedo Kutaisi within one with a 68th-minute goal. Itrak M. was booked for Torpedo Kutaisi in the 50th minute. The second-half goals revived the visitors, but Iberia 1999 protected its lead. Deisadze and Selimovic were credited with assists in the match. Itrak M.’s yellow card was the only booking in the match. The goal by Pires came 19 minutes after Mamuchashvili’s strike and set up a final stretch with Torpedo Kutaisi trailing by one.

Iberia 1999 made a 35th-minute substitution involving Jinjolava J. Torpedo Kutaisi made four substitutions at the 46th minute, involving Stamatov M., Arabidze G., Bukia D. and Pinson V. Iberia 1999 also made a 46th-minute substitution involving Selimovic V. Iberia 1999 used substitutions involving Kardava B. and Sikharulashvili N. in the 69th minute, Torpedo Kutaisi made a 78th-minute substitution involving Latsabidze L., and Iberia 1999 made an 82nd-minute substitution involving Beridze G. The substitutions altered both lineups during the second half. The 35th-minute change came before Beridze’s 40th-minute goal. Torpedo Kutaisi’s four halftime changes preceded Mamuchashvili’s 49th-minute goal.

Both teams had played recently in all competitions. Iberia 1999 had drawn 1-1 with Mjallby, won 2-0 at Dila Gori, lost 0-2 at St. Truiden, won 2-1 at Meshakhte Tkibuli, lost 1-2 to Dinamo Tbilisi and won 2-0 at Rustavi in its previous six matches. Torpedo Kutaisi had lost 0-1 to Rustavi and drawn 3-3 at Spaeri in its previous two matches. Natchkebia, Iberia 1999’s top performer, had played 72 minutes against Mjallby, 15 minutes at Dila Gori and 71 minutes at St. Truiden in recent appearances. Iberia 1999’s previous six matches produced three wins, one draw and two losses. Torpedo Kutaisi’s previous two matches produced one draw and one loss.

The result moved Iberia 1999 to 4 wins and 1 loss in this competition and 4 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw across all competitions. Torpedo Kutaisi moved to 0 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw in the competition and 0 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw across all competitions. Iberia 1999 has played five competition matches, while Torpedo Kutaisi has played three. The victory was Iberia 1999’s fourth in the competition. The defeat was Torpedo Kutaisi’s second in the competition.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Torpedo Kutaisi 2, Iberia 1999 1, and Interstat’s ELO system had projected Torpedo Kutaisi with a 76.4 percent probability to win. Iberia 1999 had been installed as the pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 5 went under the over/under line of 2.5.