2019 Liga 3 (Georgia)

Liga 3
Season2019
Dates4 March - 29 November
ChampionsMerani
PromotedMerani
Samgurali
Aragvi
RelegatedBetlemi
Borjomi
Matches played180
Goals scored488 (2.71 per match)
Biggest home winAragvi 7-0 Borjomi
(3 June)
Biggest away winBorjomi 1-6 Merani
(13 May)
Highest scoringSaburtalo-2 6-2 Meshakhte
(25 April)
Longest winning runMerani (7)
Longest unbeaten runMerani (13)
Longest winless runKolkheti (11)
Longest losing runBetlemi (5)
← 2018
2020 →

Тhe 2019 Liga 3 was the third season under its current name and 32nd third-tier season since Georgia formed independent football league system in 1990. It began on 4 March and ended with promotion play-off return legs on 10 December.

Team changes

Following the previous season, the number of teams participating in Liga 3 was halved. With no club promoted from a lower league, the five relegated teams were among first members of the newly formed Liga 4.

From Liga 3

Zugdidi ● Guria Lanchkhuti

Relegated to Liga 4

Samegrelo Chkhorotsku ● Magaroeli Chiatura ● Varketili Tbilisi ● Algeti Marneuli ● Imereti Khoni

Relegated to Regionuli Liga

Mark Stars Tbilisi ● Gardabani ● Sulori Vani ● Samgurali Tskaltubo-2 ● Machakhela Khelvachauri

To Liga 3

Relegated from Liga 2

Samgurali ● Merani

Teams and stadiums

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Locations of Liga 3 football clubs in 2019
Clubs Position
in 2018 		Location Venue Region
Aragvi 6th Dusheti Olympic Centre Mtskheta-Mtianeti
Bakhmaro 2nd Chokhatauri Boris Paichadze stadium Guria
Betlemi 10th Keda Archil Partenadze Stadium Adjara
Borjomi 7th Borjomi Jemal Zeinklishvili Stadium Samtskhe-Javakheti
Gori 9th Gori Kartli Shida Kartli
Kolkheti 5th Khobi Paata Tatarashvili stadium Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
Merani 10th in Liga 2 Martvili Murtaz Khurtsilava Stadium Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
Meshakhte 8th Tkibuli Temur Maghradze Stadium Imereti
Saburtalo-2 4th Tbilisi Bendela Tbilisi
Samgurali 8th in Liga 2 Tskaltubo 26 May stadium Imereti

Review

Being considered primary favourites for promotion, Merani won the league with a large margin after an impressive performance during the entire season. They achieved their promotion goal well beforehand, with five matches still remaining.[1] Samgurali managed to thrash their play-off rivals with an aggregate score 9-0 and return to Liga 2 after one-year absence.[2] Aragvi also prevailed over their opponents, despite a home defeat in the first leg.[3]

Five teams were involved in a bitter survival battle close to the end. Gori, a most expected candidate for relegation, secured two victories in the last two games to climb out of the drop zone. Three clubs reached the finish line with equal points, but head-to-head results proved unfavourable for Borjomi, who were relegated along with Betlemi.[4]

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Merani (C, P) 36 26 4 6 78 24 +54 82 Promotion to Erovnuli Liga 2
2 Samgurali (P) 36 21 7 8 52 29 +23 70 Qualification for Promotion play-offs
3 Aragvi (P) 36 18 7 11 58 41 +17 61
4 Bakhmaro 36 16 6 14 50 47 +3 54
5 Saburtalo-2 36 15 3 18 53 67 −14 48
6 Kolkheti 36 11 8 17 39 54 −15 41
7 Gori 36 11 6 19 45 52 −7 39
8 Meshakhte 36 11 6 19 43 55 −12 39
9 Borjomi (R) 36 12 3 21 30 57 −27 39 Relegation to the Liga 4
10 Betlemi (R) 36 10 8 18 40 62 −22 38
Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Head-to-head away goals scored (only if two teams); 6) Goal difference; 7) Goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated


Promotion play-offs

Aragvi Dusheti0–1Guria Lanchkhuti
Report Iagri 10'
Referee: Bakur Ninua
Guria Lanchkhuti0–2 (a.e.t.)Aragvi Dusheti
Report Khintibidze 35'
Samadashvili 103'
Referee: Jener Khorava

Aragvi Dusheti won 2–1 on aggregate.

Kolkheti-1913 Poti0–3Samgurali Tskhaltubo
Report Kakulia 6'
Akhvlediani 37'
Kutchukhidze 77'
Referee: Arsen Nonikashvili
Samgurali Tskhaltubo6–0Kolkheti-1913 Poti
Apkhazava 25'
Kutchukhidze 42'
Kukhianidze 67', 79'
Akhvlediani 69'
Gazdeliani 87'		 Report
Referee: Giorgi Avazashvili

Samgurali Tskhaltubo won 9–0 on aggregate.

References

  1. ^ "ღირსეული ჩემპიონები ჭყონდიდიდან!". fcmerani.ge (in Georgian), 29 November 2019.
  2. ^ "კარგი პირობები, პროფესიონალიზმი და დისციპლინა - ის, რამაც ,,სამგურალის" წარმატება განაპირობა". fcsamgurali.ge (in Georgian), 15 December 2019.
  3. ^ "Play-offs of 2019 season". soccerway.com.
  4. ^ "Liga 3 results in 2019". gff.ge.