Merani Martvili hosted Gareji in the Erovnuli Liga 2 regular season on 29 August 2026, and the visitors claimed victory with a 2-1 scoreline. The result keeps Gareji sitting at the summit of the table, six points clear of second place. Merani remain in sixth position after 23 matches, their campaign defined by inconsistency rather than collapse.
B. Gugberidze opened the scoring in the 33rd minute, giving the hosts a narrow advantage. And here's the thing — the game shifted entirely in the second half. R. Gagity equalised from open play in the 65th minute before T. Babunadze converted a penalty in the 74th to restore Gareji's lead.
To be fair, the match was never truly balanced. Gareji registered 46 attacks compared to Merani's 40, yet the visitors managed zero corners while the hosts collected seven. Possession told a different story entirely: Merani controlled 60 per cent of the ball, but that territory did not translate into chances.
Merani made three substitutions at the interval, bringing on L. Tsotsonava, D. Khelaia and S. Kukhianidze. Gareji responded with their own trio at the 66th minute — D. Lomtadze, G. Nikolaishvili and D. Aidarashvili entered the fray. By then the momentum had already tilted decisively.
The five yellow cards — three for Merani, two for Gareji — suggested a match growing tight rather than one where either side dominated. Merani's recent form has been fragile, with four defeats in their last five outings, while Gareji's three losses across 23 games underline their consistency.