# 2024–25 Scottish League Cup group stage

The 2024–25 Scottish League Cup group stage was played from 13 July to 28 July 2024. A total of 40 teams competed in the group stage. The winners of each of the eight groups as well as the three best runners-up progressed to the second round (last 16) of the 2024–25 Scottish League Cup.

## Format

The competition begins with eight groups of five teams; each team plays 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 (Heart of Midlothian and Kilmarnock) and Conference League (St Mirren) receive a bye to the second round. The group stage consists of 40 teams: all remaining teams that competed across the SPFL in 2023–24, the 2023–24 Highland Football League champions (Buckie Thistle) and runners-up (Brechin City), and the 2023–24 Lowland Football League champions (East Kilbride).
The winners of each of the eight groups, as well as the three best runners-up, 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 are seeded.
The traditional point system of awarding three points for a win and one point for a draw is used. In addition, 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 29 May 2024 and was broadcast live on the Premier Sports and SPFL YouTube channels.

## Teams

The teams are seeded according to their final league positions in 2023–24 and drawn into eight groups, with each group comprising one team from each pot.

### Seeding

Teams in Bold qualified for the second round.
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 | Pot 5 |
| 01. Dundee 02. Aberdeen 03. Hibernian 04. Motherwell 05. St Johnstone 06. Ross County 07. Livingston 08. Dundee United | 09. Raith Rovers 10. Partick Thistle 11. Airdrieonians 12. Greenock Morton 13. Dunfermline Athletic 14. Ayr United 15. Queen's Park 16. Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 17. Arbroath 18. Falkirk 19. Hamilton Academical 20. Alloa Athletic 21. Montrose 22. Cove Rangers 23. Kelty Hearts 24. Queen of the South | 25. Annan Athletic 26. Stirling Albion 27. Edinburgh City 28. Stenhousemuir 29. Peterhead 30. The Spartans 31. Dumbarton 32. East Fife | 33. Forfar Athletic 34. Elgin City 35. Bonnyrigg Rose 36. Clyde 37. Stranraer 38. East Kilbride 39. Buckie Thistle 40. Brechin City |
Source:

## Group stage

All times are BST (UTC +1).

### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ABE | AIR | QOS | EKB | DUM |
| 1 | Aberdeen | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | +14 | 12 | Qualification for the second round | — | 2–1 | — | — | 6–0 |
| 2 | Airdrieonians | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 5 | +10 | 9 | Qualification for the second round | — | — | 2–0 | 8–0 | — |
| 3 | Queen of the South | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 6 | | 0–3 | — | — | — | 2–0 |
| 4 | East Kilbride | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 16 | −14 | 2 | | 0–4 | — | 1–3 | — | — |
| 5 | Dumbarton | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 13 | −9 | 1 | | — | 3–4 | — | 1–1p | — |

#### Matches
### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | FAL | DUN | AYR | STE | BUC |
| 1 | Falkirk | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 2 | +9 | 9 | Qualification for the second round | — | 2–0 | — | 4–0 | — |
| 2 | Dundee United | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 9 | Qualification for the second round | — | — | 2–1 | 3–0 | — |
| 3 | Ayr United | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 9 | | 1–0 | — | — | — | 3–2 |
| 4 | Stenhousemuir | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 11 | −6 | 3 | | — | — | 1–4 | — | 4–0 |
| 5 | Buckie Thistle | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 17 | −12 | 0 | | 1–5 | 2–5 | — | — | — |

#### Matches
### Group C

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | HIB | QPA | PET | KEL | ELG |
| 1 | Hibernian | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 2 | +12 | 9 | Qualification for the second round | — | 5–1 | 4–0 | — | — |
| 2 | Queen's Park | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 5 | +11 | 9 | Qualification for the second round | — | — | — | 6–0 | 4–0 |
| 3 | Peterhead | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 11 | −6 | 6 | | — | 0–5 | — | — | 4–2 |
| 4 | Kelty Hearts | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 4 | | 1–0 | — | 0–1 | — | — |
| 5 | Elgin City | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 | −11 | 2 | | 0–5 | — | — | p1–1 | — |

#### Matches
### Group D

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | DND | ANN | ARB | ICT | BON |
| 1 | Dundee | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 2 | +16 | 12 | Qualification for the second round | — | 3–1 | — | 6–0 | — |
| 2 | Annan Athletic | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 7 | | — | — | — | 1–0 | 2–2p |
| 3 | Arbroath | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 5 | | 0–2 | 0–3 | — | — | — |
| 4 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 4 | | — | — | 0–0p | — | 3–0 |
| 5 | Bonnyrigg Rose | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 | −10 | 2 | | 1–7 | — | 0–1 | — | — |

#### Matches
### Group E

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SPA | LIV | FOR | DNF | COV |
| 1 | The Spartans | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 9 | Qualification for the second round | — | — | 1–0 | 0–3 | — |
| 2 | Livingston | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 9 | | 0–1 | — | — | 1–0 | — |
| 3 | Forfar Athletic | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 6 | | — | 0–2 | — | — | 3–0 |
| 4 | Dunfermline Athletic | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 3 | | — | — | 0–2 | — | 1–2 |
| 5 | Cove Rangers | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11 | −9 | 3 | | 0–5 | 0–2 | — | — | — |
* ↑ Forfar Athletic were awarded a technical 3−0 win over Cove, who fielded an ineligible player. The match had originally finished 1–1, with Forfar securing the bonus point following a 3–1 win on penalties.

#### Matches
##### Notes

* ^ A: Forfar Athletic were awarded a technical 3−0 win over Cove Rangers, who fielded an ineligible player. The match had originally finished 1–1, with Forfar securing the bonus point following a 3–1 win on penalties.

### Group F

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | STJ | ALL | EFI | GMO | BRE |
| 1 | St Johnstone | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 9 | Qualification for the second round | — | — | 5–1 | 2–0 | — |
| 2 | Alloa Athletic | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 8 | | 3–2 | — | p0–0 | — | — |
| 3 | East Fife | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 7 | | — | — | — | 3–0 | 4–0 |
| 4 | Greenock Morton | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 6 | | — | 2–1 | — | — | 1–0 |
| 5 | Brechin City | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 10 | −8 | 0 | | 1–2 | 1–3 | — | — | — |

#### Matches
### Group G

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | MOT | PAR | MON | CLY | EDI |
| 1 | Motherwell | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 9 | Qualification for the second round | — | 0–0p | — | — | 3–0 |
| 2 | Partick Thistle | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 8 | | — | — | 3–2 | 2–3 | — |
| 3 | Montrose | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 7 | | 1–1p | — | — | — | 2–1 |
| 4 | Clyde | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 6 | | 1–3 | — | 0–1 | — | — |
| 5 | Edinburgh City | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 16 | −15 | 0 | | — | 0–6 | — | 0–5 | — |

#### Matches
### Group H

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ROS | RAI | HAM | STI | STR |
| 1 | Ross County | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 12 | Qualification for the second round | — | 2–1 | — | 3–0 | — |
| 2 | Raith Rovers | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 8 | | — | — | p1–1 | — | 2–1 |
| 3 | Hamilton Academical | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 5 | | 1–2 | — | — | 0–0p | — |
| 4 | Stirling Albion | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 4 | | — | 0–3 | — | — | p2–2 |
| 5 | Stranraer | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | −6 | 1 | | 1–3 | — | 0–3 | — | — |

#### Matches
## Best runners-up

| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | C | Queen's Park | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 5 | +11 | 9 | Qualification for the second round |
| 2 | A | Airdrieonians | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 5 | +10 | 9 | Qualification for the second round |
| 3 | B | Dundee United | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 9 | Qualification for the second round |
| 4 | E | Livingston | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 9 | |
| 5 | G | Partick Thistle | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 8 | |
| 6 | H | Raith Rovers | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 8 | |
| 7 | F | Alloa Athletic | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 8 | |
| 8 | D | Annan Athletic | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 7 | |