Scottish League Cup draw: Dundee sides meet in group stages

Dundee United and Dundee have not met since the former was relegated at the end of the 2015-16 season

Dundee and Dundee United have been drawn in the same section for the Scottish League Cup group stage.

The draw, held on Friday, also paired Ayrshire rivals Kilmarnock and Ayr United in the same group.

The first stage of the competition consists of eight groups, four "north" sections and four "south" groups.

Celtic, Aberdeen, Rangers and St Johnstone receive a bye into the second round of the competition due to their involvement in European tournaments.

The Tayside rivals have not met since May 2016, when United's top-flight relegation was confirmed with defeat by their city foes.

Group C also features two Fife sides - Cowdenbeath and Raith Rovers - and Highland League champions Buckie Thistle.

There is also a Fife derby in Group B, with Dunfermline Athletic and East Fife in a section that has Hearts as top seeds.

Angus neighbours Brechin City and Forfar Athletic are both in Group A, where Inverness Caledonian Thistle are top seeds.

Group D contains two Premiership clubs - Ross County and promoted Hibernian - along with Angus duo Montrose and Arbroath.

Lowland League champions East Kilbride are in Group G, where the Premiership representative is Hamilton Academical.

In the groups, sides face each other once and the matches will be played over weekends and midweeks from 15-19 July.

The eight group winners and four best runners-up join Celtic, Aberdeen, Rangers and St Johnstone in the second round.

Scottish League Cup first-round draw

North

Group A - Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Falkirk, Stirling Albion, Brechin City, Forfar Athletic

Group B - Hearts, Dunfermline Athletic, Peterhead, East Fife, Elgin City

Group C - Dundee, Dundee United, Cowdenbeath, Buckie Thistle, Raith Rovers

Group D - Ross County, Hibernian, Montrose, Alloa Athletic, Arbroath

South

Group E - Kilmarnock, Dumbarton, Ayr United, Clyde, Annan Athletic

Group F - Motherwell, Greenock Morton, Edinburgh City, Queen's Park, Berwick Rangers

Group G - Hamilton Academical, Queen of the South, Albion Rovers, Stenhousemuir, East Kilbride

Group H - Partick Thistle, St Mirren, Airdrieonians, Stranraer, Livingston