A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
 Premier Sports Cup logo | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | Scotland |
| Dates | 9 July 2022 – 26 February 2023 |
| Teams | 45 |
| Defending champions | Celtic |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Celtic (21st title) |
| Runner-up | Rangers |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 95 |
| Goals scored | 296 (3.12 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | 5 players (4 goals) |
The 2022–23 Scottish League Cup, also known as the Premier Sports Cup (until the semi-finals)/ Viaplay Cup (final) for sponsorship reasons, was the 77th season of Scotland's second-most prestigious football knockout competition. Celtic were the defending champions. They retained the title to win the competition for a 21st time.[1]
Schedule
| Round | First match date | Fixtures | Clubs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group stage | 9 July 2022[2] | 80 | 45 → 16 |
| Second round | 30 August 2022[2] | 8 | 16 → 8 |
| Quarter finals | 18 October 2022[2] | 4 | 8 → 4 |
| Semi finals | 14 January 2023[2] | 2 | 4 → 2 |
| Final | 26 February 2023[2] | 1 | 2 → 1 |
Format
The format for the 2022–23 competition was similar to the previous six seasons; however, this season the group stage was not regionalised.[2] The competition began with eight groups of five teams. The five clubs initially competing in the UEFA Champions League (Celtic and Rangers), Europa League (Heart of Midlothian) and Europa Conference League (Dundee United and Motherwell) qualifying rounds received a bye to the second round. The group stage consisted of 40 teams: all remaining teams that competed across the SPFL in 2021–22, and the 2021–22 Highland Football League champions (Fraserburgh) and runners-up (Buckie Thistle), and the 2021–22 Lowland Football League champions (Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic).[2]
The winners of each of the eight groups, as well as the three best runners-up, progressed to the second round (last 16). At this stage, the competition reverted to the traditional knock-out format. The three group winners with the highest points total and the European entrants were seeded.
Bonus point system
The traditional point system of awarding three points for a win and one point for a draw was used; however, for each group stage match that finished in a draw, a penalty shoot-out took place, with the winner being awarded a bonus point.[3]
Group stage
The teams were seeded according to their final league positions in 2021–22 and drawn into eight groups, with each group comprising one team from each pot. The draw for the group stage took place on 25 May 2022 and was broadcast live on FreeSports & the SPFL YouTube channel.[2]
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ABE | STI | RAI | DUM | PET | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aberdeen | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | +12 | 12 | Qualification for the second round | — | — | 3–0 | 2–0 | — | |
| 2 | Stirling Albion | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 8 | 0–5 | — | — | — | 3–0 | ||
| 3 | Raith Rovers | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 6 | — | 1–1p | — | — | 6–0 | ||
| 4 | Dumbarton | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 4 | — | 1–2 | 0–0p | — | — | ||
| 5 | Peterhead | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 13 | −13 | 0 | 0–2 | — | — | 0–2 | — |
Rules for classification: 1) goal difference, 2) goals scored, 3) away goals scored, 4) matches won, 5) away matches won, 6) drawing of lots.[5]
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PAR | KIL | STE | MON | FRA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Partick Thistle | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 11 | Qualification for the second round | — | — | — | 4–2 | 2–0 | |
| 2 | Kilmarnock | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 3 | +8 | 10 | 1–1p | — | 4–1 | — | — | ||
| 3 | Stenhousemuir | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 6 | 1–2 | — | — | — | 3–0 | ||
| 4 | Montrose | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 11 | −5 | 3 | — | 0–3 | 0–2 | — | — | ||
| 5 | Fraserburgh | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 12 | −9 | 0 | — | 1–3 | — | 2–4 | — |
Rules for classification: 1) goal difference, 2) goals scored, 3) away goals scored, 4) matches won, 5) away matches won, 6) drawing of lots.[5]