According to Offsideplus.az , the first part of the season, which ended after 13 rounds, is notable for the small difference between the leader and the outsider.
Neftchi, which is in the first place, has 24 points, and Sabah, which is in last place, has 13 points. There is a difference of only 11 points between the first and last steps.
This is an absolute record for 8-team championships. In the competition, which was held for the fifth time in a row with the same format and number of participants, the teams never settled for such a short interval for the winter break. In the 2016/17 season, the difference was 24, while in 2017/18, the leader and the outsider divided the gap - 30 points. In the 2018/19 season, the teams were in the range of 23 points, and in the 2019/20 season - in the range of 19 points.
If we look at previous championships in which more teams competed, the difference between 1st and 8th place was usually greater. Twelve years ago, that number was 11. In the 2008/09 season, Inter (now Keshla), which went to the winter break as the leader after 13 rounds, was 11 points ahead of the 8th Standard. These two indicators are the record of the last 16 seasons.
The last time those who settled in the top eight in the new year were sent away with a smaller difference was in the 2004/05 season. 16 years ago, the winter champion "Karabakh" scored 40 points, and the 8th line "MKT-Araz" scored 31 points. The difference in the break after 17 rounds was 9.
