# 2017–18 Scottish League Cup group stage

The 2017–18 Scottish League Cup group stage was played from 14 July to 30 July 2017. A total of 40 teams competed in the group stage. The winners of each of the eight groups, as well as the four best runners-up progressed to the second round (last 16) of the 2017–18 Scottish League Cup.

## Format

The group stage consisted of eight teams from the 2016–17 Scottish Premiership, ten teams from each of the 2016–17 Scottish Championship, 2016–17 Scottish League One and 2016–17 Scottish League Two, as well as the winners of the 2016–17 Highland Football League and 2016–17 Lowland Football League. The 40 teams were divided into two sections: North and South; with each section containing four top seeded teams, four second seeded teams and 12 unseeded teams. Each section was drawn into four groups with each group being made up of 1 top seed, 1 second seed and 3 unseeded sides. Seedings for the draw were confirmed on 31 May 2017, two days before the draw.
The draw for the group stages took place on Friday 2 June 2017 at 6:30pm BST at the BT Sport Studio in London and was shown live on BT Sport 2.

## Teams
### North
#### Seeding

Teams in Bold qualified for the second round
| Top seeds | Second seeds | Unseeded |
| 01. Heart of Midlothian 02. Ross County 03. Dundee 04. Inverness CT | 09. Hibernian 10. Falkirk 11. Dundee United 12. Dunfermline Athletic | 17. Raith Rovers 18. Alloa Athletic 19. Brechin City 20. East Fife 21. Peterhead 22. Arbroath 23. Forfar Athletic 24. Montrose 25. Elgin City 26. Stirling Albion 27. Cowdenbeath 28. Buckie Thistle |

### South
#### Seeding

Teams in Bold qualified for the second round
| Top seeds | Second seeds | Unseeded |
| 05. Partick Thistle 06. Kilmarnock 07. Motherwell 08. Hamilton Academical | 13. Greenock Morton 14. Queen of the South 15. St Mirren 16. Dumbarton | 29. Ayr United 30. Livingston 31. Airdrieonians 32. Queen's Park 33. Stranraer 34. Albion Rovers 35. Stenhousemuir 36. Annan Athletic 37. Edinburgh City 38. Berwick Rangers 39. Clyde 40. East Kilbride |

## North
### Group A

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | FAL | INV | STI | BRE | FOR |
| 1 | Falkirk (Q) | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | +12 | 12 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | — | 4–1 | — | 4–0 |
| 2 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 8 | | 0–2 | — | — | 3–0 | — |
| 3 | Stirling Albion | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 7 | | — | 0–0p | — | 2–0 | — |
| 4 | Brechin City | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9 | −8 | 2 | | 0–3 | — | — | — | p1–1 |
| 5 | Forfar Athletic | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 10 | −7 | 1 | | — | 1–2 | 1–3 | — | — |

#### Matches
### Group B

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | DNF | PET | HOM | EFI | ELG |
| 1 | Dunfermline Athletic (Q) | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 3 | +10 | 10 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | 5–1 | — | — | 6–0 |
| 2 | Peterhead | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 9 | | — | — | 2–1 | 1–0 | — |
| 3 | Heart of Midlothian | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 7 | | 2–2p | — | — | 3–0 | — |
| 4 | East Fife | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 4 | | 0–0p | — | — | — | 3–2 |
| 5 | Elgin City | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 13 | −11 | 0 | | — | 0–3 | 0–1 | — | — |

#### Matches
### Group C

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | DUN | DND | RAI | COW | BUC |
| 1 | Dundee United (Q) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 11 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | — | 2–0 | 4–1 | — |
| 2 | Dundee (Q) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 10 | Qualification for the Second Round | 1–1p | — | — | — | 2–0 |
| 3 | Raith Rovers | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 6 | | — | 1–2 | — | 2–0 | — |
| 4 | Cowdenbeath | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 11 | −6 | 3 | | — | 0–3 | — | — | 4–2 |
| 5 | Buckie Thistle | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 15 | −12 | 0 | | 0–3 | — | 1–6 | — | — |

#### Matches
### Group D

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | HIB | ROS | ARB | MON | ALO |
| 1 | Hibernian (Q) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 1 | +12 | 10 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | — | 6–1 | 4–0 | — |
| 2 | Ross County (Q) | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | +8 | 10 | Qualification for the Second Round | p0–0 | — | — | — | 2–0 |
| 3 | Arbroath | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 6 | | — | 0–0p | — | 4–0 | — |
| 4 | Montrose | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 15 | −13 | 3 | | — | 0–6 | — | — | 2–1 |
| 5 | Alloa Athletic | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 1 | | 0–3 | — | 1–1p | — | — |

#### Matches
## South
### Group E

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | AYR | KIL | CLY | ANN | DUM |
| 1 | Ayr United (Q) | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 | +12 | 12 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | 1–0 | 5–1 | — | — |
| 2 | Kilmarnock (Q) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | +6 | 9 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | — | 4–2 | — | 3–0 |
| 3 | Clyde | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 11 | −4 | 6 | | — | — | — | 2–1 | 2–1 |
| 4 | Annan Athletic | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 10 | −8 | 2 | | 1–6 | 0–2 | — | — | — |
| 5 | Dumbarton | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 1 | | 1–3 | — | — | 0–0p | — |

#### Matches
### Group F

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | MOT | GMO | QPA | EDC | BER |
| 1 | Motherwell (Q) | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | +10 | 12 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | 4–0 | — | — | 1–0 |
| 2 | Greenock Morton | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 8 | | — | — | p2–2 | 5–0 | — |
| 3 | Queen's Park | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 7 | | 1–5 | — | — | 3–0 | — |
| 4 | Edinburgh City | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 12 | −9 | 2 | | 1–2 | — | — | — | p2–2 |
| 5 | Berwick Rangers | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 1 | | — | 0–1 | 2–3 | — | — |

#### Matches
### Group G

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | HAM | ALB | QOS | EKI | STE |
| 1 | Hamilton Academical (Q) | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 9 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | — | p1–1 | — | 3–0 |
| 2 | Albion Rovers | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 9 | +3 | 7 | | p4–4 | — | — | — | 1–1p |
| 3 | Queen of the South | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 7 | | — | p2–2 | — | 0–0p | — |
| 4 | East Kilbride | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 5 | | 1–3 | 2–5 | — | — | — |
| 5 | Stenhousemuir | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 | −6 | 2 | | — | — | 1–3 | 1–2 | — |

#### Matches
### Group H

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | LIV | PAR | STM | AIR | STR |
| 1 | Livingston (Q) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 11 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | p1–1 | — | 2–0 | — |
| 2 | Partick Thistle (Q) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 10 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | — | 5–0 | — | 1–0 |
| 3 | St Mirren | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 6 | | 0–1 | — | — | 5–0 | — |
| 4 | Airdrieonians | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 10 | −6 | 3 | | — | 1–2 | — | — | 3–1 |
| 5 | Stranraer | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 12 | −8 | 0 | | 2–4 | — | 1–4 | — | — |

#### Matches
## Best runners-up

| Pos | Grp | Teamvte | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | D | Ross County (Q) | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | +8 | 10 | Qualification for the Second Round |
| 2 | H | Partick Thistle (Q) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 10 | Qualification for the Second Round |
| 3 | C | Dundee (Q) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 10 | Qualification for the Second Round |
| 4 | E | Kilmarnock (Q) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | +6 | 9 | Qualification for the Second Round |
| 5 | B | Peterhead | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 9 | |
| 6 | F | Greenock Morton | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 8 | |
| 7 | A | Inverness CT | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 8 | |
| 8 | G | Albion Rovers | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 9 | +3 | 7 | |

## Qualified teams

| Team | Qualified as | Qualified on | Notes |
| Falkirk | Group A winner | 25 July 2017 | Seeded for the Second Round draw |
| Motherwell | Group F winner | 25 July 2017 | Seeded for the Second Round draw |
| Livingston | Group H winner | 25 July 2017 | |
| Dunfermline Athletic | Group B winner | 29 July 2017 | |
| Hibernian | Group D winner | 29 July 2017 | |
| Ayr United | Group E winner | 29 July 2017 | Seeded for the Second Round draw |
| Hamilton Academical | Group G winner | 29 July 2017 | |
| Ross County | Best runner-up | 29 July 2017 | |
| Kilmarnock | Best runner-up | 29 July 2017 | |
| Partick Thistle | Best runner-up | 29 July 2017 | |
| Dundee United | Group C winner | 30 July 2017 | Seeded for the Second Round draw |
| Dundee | Best runner-up | 30 July 2017 | |

## Top goalscorers

There were 267 goals scored in 80 matches in the group stage, for an average of 3.34 goals per match.
    As of matches played on 30 July 2017
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Alan Trouten | Albion Rovers | 7 |
| 1 | Simon Murray | Hibernian | 7 |
| 3 | Sofien Moussa | Dundee | 5 |
| 4 | Nicky Clark | Dunfermline Athletic | 4 |
| 4 | Sean Winter | East Kilbride | 4 |
| 4 | Kyle Lafferty | Heart of Midlothian | 4 |
| 4 | Stephen Dobbie | Queen of the South | 4 |
| 4 | Lewis Vaughan | Raith Rovers | 4 |
| 9 | 18 players | 18 players | 3 |