Hebar 1918 beat Etar Veliko-Tarnovo 4-1 in the Bulgarian Second League regular season on Monday. The hosts finished nine games with three wins, two draws and four defeats, accumulating 11 points. Etar sit seventh after nine matches with four victories, two draws and three losses for 14 points. We had backed the home side at 48 per cent confidence and the prediction held up.
I. Mihaylov opened the scoring in the 36th minute to put the hosts ahead. Etar responded with pressure and a yellow card in the 38th minute showed the tension rising. T. Gergisharov restored Hebar's lead just before half-time with a goal in the 45+3rd minute. By then the visitors had accumulated another booking, this time in the 46th minute.
The second half belonged to Hebar. C. Ivaylov added a third in the 73rd minute before M. Vangelov made it four in the 74th. Etar pulled one back through an own goal from G. Aleksandrov in the 90+2nd minute, but it was too little too late. The visitors had been a menace all night in possession but could not find the net.
Etar dominated territory with 57 per cent possession and 129 attacks compared to Hebar's 43 per cent and 96. They registered four shots on target against six for the hosts, yet only managed one goal from an own goal. The statistics tell you nothing about how the match actually unfolded on the pitch.
Hebar's performance suggests they are building something at home. They have not won since their last home game before this one, and now they have ended that run with a convincing display. Etar need the points badly given their position in the table.