2018 Liga 3 (Georgia)

Тhe 2018 Liga 3 was the second season under its current name and 31st third-tier season after the creation of independent football league system in Georgia. As a single two-round competition, it began on 5 March and ended on 6 December.^[1]

Liga 3

Season	2018
Dates	5 March - 6 December
Champions	Zugdidi
Promoted	Zugdidi Guria
Relegated	Samegrelo Chiatura Varketili Algeti Mark Stars Imereti Gardabani Sulori Samgurali-2 Matchakhela
Matches played	380
Goals scored	1,084 (2.85 per match)
Biggest home win	Gori 7-0 Sulori (30 March)
Biggest away win	Matchakhela 0-5 Bakhmaro (22 October)
Highest scoring	Gori 5-4 Bakhmaro (2 September) Varketili 7-2 Matchakhela (11 June)
Longest winning run	Zugdidi (7)
Longest unbeaten run	Bakhmaro (12)
Longest winless run	Matchakhela (13)
Longest losing run	Samgurali-2 (7)
← 2017 2019 →

Team changes

The following teams have changed division since the 2017 season:

From Liga 3

Promoted to Liga 2

Shevardeni-1906 Tbilisi ● Merani Tbilisi ● Telavi

Relegated to Regionuli Liga

Odishi 1919 Zugdidi ● Chkherimela Kharagauli ● Liakhvi Tskhinvali ● Sapovnela Terjola ● Skuri Tsalenjikha ● Margveti Zestaponi

To Liga 3

Relegated from Liga 2

Zugdidi ● Meshakhte Tkibuli ● Guria Lanchkhuti

Promoted from Regionuli Liga

Varketili Tbilisi ● Saburtalo-2 Tbilisi ● Matchakhela Khelvachauri ● Bakhmaro Chokhatauri ● Aragvi Dusheti ● Samgurali-2 Tskaltubo

Teams and stadiums

Clubs	Location	Venue	Region
Argeti	Tbilisi	Shatili Stadium	Tbilisi
Aragvi	Dusheti	Olympic Centre	Mtskheta-Mtianeti
Bakhmaro	Chokhatauri	Boris Paichadze stadium	Guria
Betlemi	Keda	Archil Partenadze Stadium	Adjara
Borjomi	Borjomi	Jemal Zeinklishvili Stadium	Samtskhe-Javakheti
Chiatura	Chiatura	Temur Maghradze Stadium	Imereti
Gardabani	Gardabani	Martkopi Rugby Arena	Kvemo Kartli
Gori	Gori	Kartli	Shida Kartli
Guria	Lanchkhuti	Evgrapi Shevardnadze Stadium	Guria
Imereti	Khoni	Ipolite Khvichia stadium	Imereti
Kolkheti	Khobi	Paata Tatarashvili stadium	Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
Mark Stars	Tbilisi	Dusheti Olympic Centre	Mtskheta-Mtianeti
Matchakhela	Khelvachauri	Akhalsopeli Centraluri	Adjara
Meshakhte	Tkibuli	Vladimer Bochorishvili Stadium	Imereti
Saburtalo-2	Tbilisi	Bendela	Tbilisi
Samgurali-2	Tskaltubo	26 May stadium	Imereti
Samegrelo	Chkhorotsku	Bondo Papaskiri stadium	Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
Sulori	Vani	Grigol Nikoleishvili stadium	Imereti
Varketili	Tbilisi	Shatili stadium	Tbilisi
Zugdidi	Zugdidi	Ganmukhuri, Centraluri	Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti

League table

In their first season in the third tier, Zugdidi won the league through automatic promotion after a tight contest concluded in the last matchday of the season.^[2] Both teams representing the region of Guria qualified for play-offs, although only one of them succeeded in them.^[3]

According to the Federation's decision, a drastic reduction of the league teams involved ten clubs, who were supposed to be relegated to Liga 4 and Regionuli Liga next year.^[4]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion, qualification or relegation
1	Zugdidi (C, P)	38	27	3	8	65	31	+34	84	Promotion to Erovnuli Liga 2
2	Bakhmaro	38	25	7	6	78	40	+38	79[a]	Qualification for Promotion play-offs
3	Guria (P)	38	21	10	7	59	31	+28	73
4	Saburtalo-2	38	21	4	13	60	50	+10	67
5	Kolkheti	38	17	10	11	54	35	+19	61
6	Aragvi	38	19	4	15	64	55	+9	61
7	Borjomi	38	18	7	13	66	56	+10	61
8	Meshakhte	38	17	6	15	59	54	+5	57
9	Gori	38	14	11	13	58	48	+10	53
10	Betlemi	38	14	9	15	52	58	−6	51
11	Samegrelo (R)	38	13	9	16	63	55	+8	48	Relegation to Liga 4
12	Chiatura (R)	38	12	11	15	39	47	−8	47
13	Varketili (R)	38	13	8	17	58	58	0	47
14	Algeti (R)	38	13	7	18	54	64	−10	46
15	Mark Stars (R)	38	13	7	18	59	65	−6	46	Play-offs for Relegation to Liga 4
16	Imereti (R)	38	12	9	17	44	52	−8	45
17	Gardabani (R)	38	11	6	21	39	63	−24	39	Relegation to Regionuli Liga
18	Sulori (R)	38	10	6	22	38	77	−39	36
19	Samgurali-2 (R)	38	8	7	23	40	82	−42	31
20	Matchakhela (R)	38	5	13	20	35	63	−28	28

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
Notes:

1. Bakhmaro were deducted 3 points

Promotion play-offs

Guria Lanchkhuti	1–0	Samgurali Tskaltubo
Jikidze 26'	Report

11 December 2018 (2018-12-11)

14:00 UTC+4

Evgrapi Shevardnadze Stadium, Lanchkhuti

Referee: Giorgi Kruashvili

Samgurali Tskaltubo	2–1	Guria Lanchkhuti
Bibilashvili 28', 32'	Report	Gagnidze 57'

14 December 2018 (2018-12-14)

14:00 UTC+4

26 May Stadium, Tsqaltubo

Referee: Arsen Nonikashvili

2–2 on aggregate, Guria Lanchkhuti won on away goals.

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Tskhinvali	2–1	Bakhmaro Chokhatauri
Kiknadze 9', 42'	Report	Kverenchkhiladze 81'

11 December 2018 (2018-12-11)

14:00 UTC+4

Kartli Stadium, Gori

Referee: Arsen Nonikashvili

Bakhmaro Chokhatauri	0–2	Tskhinvali
	Report	Vardzelashvili 55' Tatkhashvili 90+1'

14 December 2018 (2018-12-14)

13:00 UTC+4

Boris Paichadze Stadium, Chokhatauri

Referee: Jener Khorava

Bakhmaro lost 4–1 on aggregate.

Relegation play-offs

Imereti Khoni	2–0	Dinamo Batumi-2
Khmelidze 84' Nikuradze 88'	Report

10 December 2018 (2018-12-10)

14:00 UTC+4

Ipolite Khvichia stadium, Khoni

Referee: Jener Khorava

Dinamo Batumi-2	0–0	Imereti Khoni
	Report

13 December 2018 (2018-12-13)

13:00 UTC+4

Angisa, Batumi

Referee: Giga Kikacheishvili

Imereti won 2–0 on aggregate and earned a slot in Liga 4

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Mark Stars	1–4	Gareji Sagarejo
Adeshina 22'	Report	Kaldani 21' Tsikalanov 79' Tavadze 88' Melkadze 90+4'

10 December 2018 (2018-12-10)

14:00 UTC+4

Olympic Centre, Dusheti

Referee: Giga Kikacheishvili

Gareji Sagarejo	3–0	Mark Stars
Jokhadze 31', 90' Gogilashvili 85'	Report

13 December 2018 (2018-12-13)

13:00 UTC+4

Arsen Mekokishvili Stadium, Sagarejo

Referee: Shota Kukhilava

Gareji won 7–1 on aggregate and advanced to Liga 4 from Regionuli Liga