GEORGIAN LEAGUE KICKS OFF IN BELARUS WITH SABURTALO HOSTING TORPEDO KUTAISI

OSTROVSKOI PEREVOZ, Belarus (Interstat) — The Erovnuli Liga season opens under unusual circumstances Tuesday as Georgian clubs Saburtalo and Torpedo Kutaisi face off at a neutral site in Belarus.

The Week 1 match, scheduled for Teknikuri Tsentri, pits a Saburtalo side favored by statistical models against a Torpedo Kutaisi team carrying momentum from a late-year victory.

Interstat’s ELO rating system gives Saburtalo a 58.40 percent probability to win. However, the same service’s game simulator projects a 1-1 draw, highlighting the anticipated competitiveness of the league opener.

Saburtalo enters with mixed results from a challenging series of friendlies against European competition. Its most recent match was a 3-1 loss to Romanian side FCSB on Oct. 5. In September, it managed a 2-2 draw against the same opponent. Earlier results included draws and losses to clubs from Estonia and Sweden.

Torpedo Kutaisi concluded its 2025 schedule with a 2-1 home win over Gareji on Dec. 6. Its preseason preparations featured a series against Cypriot club Omonia Nicosia, losing both legs (1-0 and 4-0), and two high-scoring draws with Kazakh side Ordabasy (4-3 win, 1-1 draw).

The neutral venue in Ostrovskoi Perevoz adds a unique layer to the domestic fixture. Both teams will aim to start their campaign with crucial points before returning to home soil in Georgia.

Kickoff is set for Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026.