Gudjohnsen's hat trick in Bulgaria leaves Iceland with 12 goals scored and one conceded

Andri Gudjohnsen scored a hat trick as Iceland won 5-0 at Bulgaria in the UEFA Nations League on Friday, and the number that matters more than the scoreline is the one at the other end. Five games into League C Group 4, Iceland have scored 12 goals and conceded one.

The Blackburn Rovers striker opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 17th minute at the Hristo Botev Stadium in Plovdiv, after captain Orri Steinn Oskarsson was brought down in the box. Oskarsson doubled the lead four minutes later, running clear onto a ball through the Bulgarian defense.

After Emil Tsenov turned a Brynjolfur Willumsson cross into his own net in the 52nd minute, Gudjohnsen finished a through ball from Hakon Arnar Haraldsson in the 68th and completed the hat trick in the 79th when the ball dropped to him in the box. Icelandic outlet Visir gave him its star of the night.

It was not a clean night for Iceland's squad. Stefan Teitur Thordarson went off with a hamstring problem in the ninth minute and Kristall Mani Ingason was replaced injured before the half-hour mark, two concerns to monitor before Monday.

The only goal against Iceland in this group came on Sept. 26, when Estonia's Paskotsi equalized in a 1-1 draw in Reykjavik. Since then Iceland have won 3-0 in Luxembourg, 3-0 at home to Bulgaria, drawn 0-0 in Estonia and now won 5-0 in Plovdiv.

That leaves them on 11 points, two ahead of Estonia, who beat Luxembourg 1-0 on Friday. The gap in goal difference is bigger: Iceland are plus-11, Estonia plus-2. Iceland host Luxembourg in the final round on Monday while Estonia take on Bulgaria.

Gudjohnsen, the son of former Chelsea and Barcelona forward Eidur Gudjohnsen, arrived for this window on 11 goals in 15 games for Blackburn this season, 10 of them in the Championship. Only Middlesbrough's Will Lankshear, with 13, had scored more in the second tier, per Marca.

The finishing has been unusually efficient. According to FotMob figures cited by The72, he had taken only 20 Championship shots and scored with 10 of them, a rate that fuels the January interest the English outlet expects around a player under contract at Ewood Park until 2028.

Marca put his international record at 12 goals in 43 caps before the trip to Bulgaria, so Friday's three take him to 15. For an Iceland side that has conceded once in five games, a striker scoring at that rate is the difference between a group they lead and a group they control.