VRATSA, Bulgaria (Interstat) — Etar scored twice in the final 12 minutes to defeat Pirin Blagoevgrad 2-0 on Friday at Stadion Hristo Botev in Vratsa. The visiting side broke through in the 79th minute and added a second goal in stoppage time in the 90+2 minute to secure the result. Pirin Blagoevgrad, the home team, could not find a response after falling behind. Etar’s late surge settled a contest that remained scoreless through the first half and much of the second. The match had been tight before Etar found the opening goal and then doubled its lead deep into added time.

The first half produced little in the way of scoring, and the teams went into the break level. Etar received a yellow card in the 43rd minute, the first caution of the match. Pirin Blagoevgrad tried to push forward after the interval, but Etar held its shape and limited the home side’s room in the final third. Etar picked up another yellow card in the 87th minute, and Pirin Blagoevgrad was booked in the 90th minute as the match moved toward its conclusion. Those disciplinary moments came around the same period in which Etar finally made its pressure count.

The victory improved Etar’s record in the competition to 2 wins and 1 loss. Pirin Blagoevgrad’s competition record moved to 0 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw. Across all competitions, Etar is now 3 wins and 2 losses, while Pirin Blagoevgrad stands at 1 win, 4 losses and 1 draw. The result added to a difficult run for the home side and gave Etar another positive outcome in a season that has included wins over Fratria and Chernomorets Balchik. Etar also had recent losses to Spartak Pleven and Spartak Varna before this match. Those results left Etar looking for a response, and the visitors found one with their late goals.

Pirin Blagoevgrad entered the match after a loss at Lok. Gorna and a home defeat to Hebar. The home side had also drawn with Spartak Pleven and beaten Mezdra earlier in the season, but it could not carry that scoring form into the match. Pirin Blagoevgrad’s attack was kept off the scoreboard, and Etar’s finishing proved decisive. The visitors made the most of their late opportunities, while the home side was left to rue a missed chance to change the momentum. Pirin Blagoevgrad remained without a win in the competition after the final whistle.

Etar’s overall record now sits at 3 wins and 2 losses, and the club has shown an ability to close out matches in the closing stages. Pirin Blagoevgrad’s overall mark of 1 win, 4 losses and 1 draw reflects a season of uneven results. The home side had found the net in wins over Mezdra and in a draw with Spartak Pleven, but it was shut out in this one. Etar, meanwhile, had scored in each of its previous four matches listed before this game, including a 2-0 win over Fratria and a 3-2 victory at Chernomorets Balchik. The visitors could not match those scoring totals in the first hour, but they found the goals when it mattered. Etar’s defense protected the lead after the opener, and the second goal arrived in stoppage time to remove any doubt. The result left Pirin Blagoevgrad still searching for its first competition win of the season.

Before the match, Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Pirin Blagoevgrad 1, Etar 1. Interstat’s ELO system projected Pirin Blagoevgrad with a 51.3 percent probability to win. Etar had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 2 went over the over/under line of 3.5.