2019 Liga 3 (Georgia)

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.

Liga 3

Season	2019
Dates	4 March - 29 November
Champions	Merani
Promoted	Merani Samgurali Aragvi
Relegated	Betlemi Borjomi
Matches played	180
Goals scored	488 (2.71 per match)
Biggest home win	Aragvi 7-0 Borjomi (3 June)
Biggest away win	Borjomi 1-6 Merani (13 May)
Highest scoring	Saburtalo-2 6-2 Meshakhte (25 April)
Longest winning run	Merani (7)
Longest unbeaten run	Merani (13)
Longest winless run	Kolkheti (11)
Longest losing run	Betlemi (5)
← 2018 2020 →

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

Promoted to Liga 2

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

Borjomi

Gori

Merani Martvili

Aragvi Dusheti

Betlemi Keda

Kolkheti Khobi

Samgurali Tskaltubo

Meshakhte Tkibuli

Bakhmaro Chokhatauri

Saburtalo-2 Tbilisi

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 Dusheti	0–1	Guria Lanchkhuti
	Report	Iagri 10'

4 December 2019 (2019-12-04)

14:00 UTC+4

Olympic Centre, Dusheti

Referee: Bakur Ninua

Guria Lanchkhuti	0–2 (a.e.t.)	Aragvi Dusheti
	Report	Khintibidze 35' Samadashvili 103'

10 December 2019 (2019-12-10)

13:30 UTC+4

Evgrapi Shevardnadze Stadium, Lanchkhuti

Referee: Jener Khorava

Aragvi Dusheti won 2–1 on aggregate.

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Kolkheti-1913 Poti	0–3	Samgurali Tskaltubo
	Report	Kakulia 6' Akhvlediani 37' Kutchukhidze 77'

4 December 2019 (2019-12-04)

14:00 UTC+4

Fazisi Stadium, Poti

Referee: Arsen Nonikashvili

Samgurali Tskaltubo	6–0	Kolkheti-1913 Poti
Apkhazava 25' Kutchukhidze 42' Kukhianidze 67', 79' Akhvlediani 69' Gazdeliani 87'	Report

10 December 2019 (2019-12-10)

13:30 UTC+4

26 May Stadium, Tsqaltubo

Referee: Giorgi Avazashvili

Samgurali Tskaltubo won 9–0 on aggregate.