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League stub
This article about 2023–24 Scottish League Cup group stage is a stub, an article too short to provide more than rudimentary information about a subject. You can help The Football Database Wiki by expanding it.
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| Scottish League Cup (group stage) 2023–24 | ||
| Region | Scotland | |
| Dates | 15 July 2023–30 July 2023 | |
| Number of teams | 40 | |
| Total matches played | 60 | |
| Total goals scored | 169 | |
| Top goal scorer | 4 players (4 goals) | |
← 2022–23
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2024–25 →
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The 2023–24 Scottish League Cup group stage is set to be played from 15 July 2023 to 30 July 2023. A total of 40 teams will compete in the group stage. The winners of each of the eight groups, as well as the three best runners-up will progress to the second round (last 16) of the 2023–24 Scottish League Cup.
Format[]
The competition begins with eight groups of five teams; with each team playing one match only against each other team in the group, either home or away, for a total of two home and two away matches. The five clubs initially competing in the UEFA Champions League (Celtic and Rangers), Europa League (Aberdeen) and Europa Conference League (Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian) qualifying rounds receive a bye to the second round. The group stage consists of 40 teams: all remaining teams that competed across the SPFL in 2022–23, the 2022–23 Highland Football League champions (Brechin City) and 2022–23 Lowland Football League champions (The Spartans). Unlike previous seasons where the remaining group stage spot was given to the runners-up of the Highland League or Lowland League, Cowdenbeath – who finished 15th in the Lowland League, having been relegated from Scottish League Two in 2022 – accepted an invitation to participate.
The winners of each of the eight groups, as well as the three best runners-up, will progress to the second round (last 16). At this stage, the competition reverts to the traditional knock-out format. The three group winners with the highest points total and the European entrants will be seeded.
The traditional point system of awarding three points for a win and one point for a draw is used; however, for each group stage match that finishes in a draw, a penalty shoot-out takes place, with the winner being awarded a bonus point.
The draw for the group stage took place on 8 June 2023 and was broadcast live on Viaplay & the SPFL YouTube channel.
Teams[]
The teams were seeded according to their final league positions in 2022–23 and drawn into eight groups, with each group comprising one team from each pot.
Seeding[]
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 | Pot 5 |
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01. St Mirren |
09. Ayr United |
17. Cove Rangers |
25. Kelty Hearts |
33. Stenhousemuir |
Group stage[]
Group A[]
| 2023–24 in Scottish football |
| Domestic leagues |
| SPFL (Premiership · Championship · League One · League Two) · Highland · Lowland · Midlands · North Caledonian · North Region Junior · East of Scotland · South of Scotland · West of Scotland |
| Domestic cups |
| Scottish Cup (Final) · League Cup (Group stage · Final) · Challenge Cup (Final) · South Region Challenge Cup |
| European competitions |
| Champions League (Final)Europa League (Final) · · Europa Conference League (Final) |
| National teams |
| Senior: UEFA Euro 2024 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying · Women's: Euro 2025 qualifying · Women's Nations League |
| Club seasons |
| Premiership |
| Aberdeen · Celtic · Dundee · Heart of Midlothian · Hibernian · Kilmarnock · Livingston · Motherwell · Rangers · Ross County · St Johnstone · St Mirren |
| Championship |
| Airdrieonians · Arbroath · Ayr United · Dundee United · Dunfermline Athletic · Greenock Morton · Inverness Caledonian Thistle · Partick Thistle · Queen's Park · Raith Rovers |
| 2022-23 2024-25 |