Last season, the MeridianBet champion of the First Montenegrin Football League was decided in the last round. Before the decisive 90 minutes, Budućnost and Sutjeska MeridianBet were tied in the table with 67 points each, but the Podgorica team had a better score. In the last round they were supposed to be beaten by Mornar in Bar, while Sutjeska visited Arsenal in Tivat and hoped to upset their great rival.
However, there were no hiccups. Buducnost celebrated at "Topolica" with a goal by Zoran Petrović and won a record sixth title, while Sutjeska, despite the victory over Arsenal (1:0), had to be satisfied with second place, but also with a triumph in the Cup.
And it is one of the more interesting seasons in the domestic championship when it comes to the fight for the title, when two teams fight for the cup until the referee's final whistle...
But this season threatens to surpass the last, even some of the previous ones. Until two rounds ago, Dečić AdmiralBet and Budućnost were in the race for the title, which brought Sutjeska back into the game with setbacks. The people of Nikšić, completely unexpectedly, got a chance to fight for the trophy after the dismal first part of the season, they came close to their rivals by only four and two points, but with the defeat against Arsenal in Tivat in the previous round, they took a big step back and returned to minus five .
The people of Nikšić are, of course, theoretically still in the game, with minus five compared to the two leading teams. The problem, however, is that for the title you need to overtake both: a favorable circumstance for Miljan Radović's team, if at least in the subconscious they have championship ambitions, is the schedule which says that Sutjeska will play to the end against Budućnost and Dečić.
Theoretically, Mornar is also in the game - everything that applies to Sutjeska also applies to Barane, who will play until the end with the leading two teams, with the fact that they have six points less than Budućnost and Sutjeska. Zoran Đurašković's team opened the second part of the season very well, was undefeated in seven games (nine, including the finish of the first part), and then suffered two defeats in the last four duels (against Jezera and Sutjeska) and slowed down quite a bit. Theoretically, though, it's still in the game.
However, such a turn of events has never happened in the Montenegrin championship, so that the title was won by a team from the third and even the fourth plan.
The theory, however, says that at the end of the championship, and there are still six rounds left, the race could be run in twos, threes, and even fours.
The last time more than two teams fought for the title in the domestic championship until the very end was in the 2016/2017 season - then Budućnost, Zeta and Mladost, today's OFK Titograd, ended up with 57 points each. The title was won by Budućnost, but the team from Golubovac was deprived of six points that season - twice for three, because the former president of the club, Radojica Božović, who was suspended for life, entered the referee's office during the matches against Grblj and Rudar.
Before that, in the 2007/2008 season, Budućnost, Zeta and Mogren were tied at the top, with 66 points each after the last round, and the title was won by the "blues" from Podgorica.
So, there were seasons when three teams fought for the title, but if you look at the bigger picture, this season could be unique - it will happen if Sutjeska and Mornar get even closer to Budućnost and Dečić in the next rounds.
What does the schedule say?
The race could become even more complicated after Sunday's 31st round, and it could become as clear as possible and give an answer to the question of whether only two or more teams will compete for the title until the end.
On Sunday, Dečić welcomes Mladost Lob.bet, Budućnost visits Jezera, Sutjeska hosts Jedinstvo Franca, and Mornar visits Arsenal.
After that, in the 32nd round, two direct duels, two derbies are played - the biggest Montenegrin one, the clash between Budućnosti and Sutjeska in Podgorica, while Mornar welcomes Dečić in Bar. It will also be interesting in the 35th round, when Budućnost will host Barane, and Dečić will go to Nikšić to face Sutjeska.
Therefore, it would not be unexpected if the champion of Montenegro is once again decided only after the last round. Budućnost and Dečić are equal on points at the top - the advantage of Podgorica is the fact that they play in significantly better shape in the last rounds, especially after the arrival of the new coach, Ivan Brnović. Tuzan's advantage, it seems, is the only one, in that they have a better mutual score than Buducnosti: and they will be champions if the score is as it is now - tied.
Who with whom until the end
There are six rounds left until the end of the championship in the Meridianebet First Montenegrin Football League, which will be played on April 21, April 27, May 4, May 12, May 19 and May 25.
Theoretically, four teams compete for the title, and they will meet each other until the end. This is their schedule, with away games marked in capital letters.
Future (54): JEZERO, Sutjeska, ARSENAL, Jedinstvo, Sailor, PETROVAC.
Boy (54): Mladost, SAILOR, MINER, Lake, SUTJESKA, Arsenal.
Sutjeska (49): Unity, FUTURE, Petrovac, YOUTH, Dečić, MINER.
sailor (48): ARSENAL, Dečić, JEDINSTVO, Miner, FUTURE, LAKE.
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