BUDAPEST (Interstat) — Stefan Ristikj completed a second-half hat trick with a stoppage-time goal, and North Macedonia U17 rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat Hungary U17 3-2 in a global football game. Ristikj scored in the 56th, 86th and 90th minute plus four minutes of stoppage time. North Macedonia U17 scored three unanswered goals after trailing 2-0. The match featured five goals and three yellow cards. The result moved North Macedonia U17 to 1-0 in the competition and 1-0 across all competitions. Hungary U17 fell to 0-1 in the competition and 0-1 across all competitions.

Hungary U17 opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Aron Horvath found the net. Horvath scored again in the 48th minute, giving Hungary U17 a 2-0 lead early in the second half. Horvath finished with two goals while playing the full match. Andrej Vasiljevic recorded an assist in 79 minutes for Hungary U17 before he was substituted. Hungary U17 led 1-0 at halftime and held its two-goal advantage until North Macedonia U17 began its comeback in the 56th minute. The Hungary U17 lead lasted until Ristikj’s first goal of the second half.

Ristikj pulled one goal back in the 56th minute, then equalized in the 86th minute. His third goal came in the 90th minute plus four minutes of stoppage time and stood as the winner. Ristikj finished with three goals in 90 minutes and was substituted in the 90th minute plus seven minutes of stoppage time. Mihajlo Pavlov played the full match for North Macedonia U17 and recorded an assist. Pavlov also received a yellow card in the 51st minute. Pavlov’s yellow card came five minutes before Ristikj’s first goal.

Matej Nikolov recorded an assist in 19 minutes for North Macedonia U17. Bobi Nedanovski added an assist in eight minutes. North Macedonia U17 also received yellow cards from Sivevski O. in the 53rd minute and Gjorgjioski F. in the 90th minute plus seven minutes of stoppage time. North Macedonia U17 received three yellow cards in the match. Hungary U17 did not receive a yellow card in the match. North Macedonia U17 made several substitutions after taking control of the second half.

Krstevski M. entered for North Macedonia U17 in the 71st minute. Polimac A. and Sivevski O. entered in the 72nd minute. Veleski A. entered in the 82nd minute, and Ristikj S. was replaced in the 90th minute plus seven minutes of stoppage time. Hungary U17 substituted Bazsika B. in the 62nd minute, Szegedi B. in the 74th minute, and Vasiljevic A. and Veves P. in the 79th minute. In all, North Macedonia U17 made five substitutions and Hungary U17 made four. The substitutions came as North Macedonia U17 protected its late lead and Hungary U17 sought an equalizer.

Key performances included Ristikj’s three goals in 90 minutes, Horvath’s two goals in 90 minutes, Vasiljevic’s assist in 79 minutes, Pavlov’s assist and yellow card in 90 minutes, Nikolov’s assist in 19 minutes and Nedanovski’s assist in eight minutes. Four of the five goals came after halftime, with North Macedonia U17 scoring all three of its goals in the second half. North Macedonia U17’s three goals came in the 56th, 86th and 90th minute plus four minutes of stoppage time, while Hungary U17’s goals came in the eighth and 48th minutes. The match ended after seven minutes of stoppage time in the second half.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Hungary U17 1, North Macedonia U17 0. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Hungary U17 with a 65.3 percent probability to win.