2018–19 Premier League International Cup

2018–19 Premier League International Cup

The Den in South Bermondsey, London hosted the final
Tournament details
Dates	14 August 2018 – 2 May 2019
Teams	24 (from 8 associations)
Final positions
Champions	Bayern Munich (1st title)
Runners-up	Dinamo Zagreb
Tournament statistics
Matches played	43
Goals scored	138 (3.21 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Danny Loader (5 goals)
← 2017–18 2019–20 →

The 2018–19 Premier League International Cup was the fifth season of the Premier League International Cup, a European club football competition organised by the Premier League for under-23 players. Bayern won the title by defeating Dinamo Zagreb 2–0 in the final.

Porto were the defending champions, after beating Arsenal 1–0 in the previous season's final, but were eliminated in the group stage.

Format

The competition featured twenty-four teams: twelve from English league system and twelve invitees from other European countries. The teams were split into six groups of four - with two English league clubs per group. The group winners, and two best runners-up, progressed into the knockout phase of the tournament. The knockout matches were single leg fixtures.^[1]

All matches - including fixtures between non-English teams - were played in England and Wales.

Teams

Athletic Bilbao, Benfica, Everton, Leicester City, PSV Eindhoven, Porto and Villarreal made their fifth appearance in the competition. They are the only teams to take part in every season since the tournament was founded in 2014. Brighton & Hove Albion, Paris Saint-Germain and Southampton made their debuts.^[2]

Group stage

Color key in group tables
Group winners and the two best runners-up advance to the quarterfinals

Group A

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Southampton	3	2	1	0	5	1	+4	7
Dinamo Zagreb	3	2	0	1	6	2	+4	6
West Ham United	3	1	0	2	2	6	−4	3
Porto	3	0	1	2	3	7	−4	1

Group B

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Reading	3	2	1	0	6	2	+4	7
Leicester City	3	2	0	1	4	3	+1	6
Feyenoord	3	1	0	2	9	5	+4	3
Sparta Prague	3	0	1	2	2	11	−9	1

• Leicester City's match against Feyenoord was originally scheduled for 30 October 2018, however on 27 October 2018, Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha's helicopter crashed outside the King Power Stadium shortly after taking off from the pitch, killing Srivaddhanaprabha and all four other people on board.^[6] The Feyenoord match was one of the club fixtures postponed as a result.^[7]

Group C

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Tottenham Hotspur	3	2	1	0	9	7	+2	7
VfL Wolfsburg	3	1	1	1	7	4	+3	4
Athletic Bilbao	3	1	0	2	7	9	−2	3
Norwich City	3	0	2	1	4	7	−3	2

Group D

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Bayern Munich	3	2	0	1	6	2	+4	6
Brighton & Hove Albion	3	1	1	1	4	4	0	4
Everton	3	1	1	1	5	6	−1	4
Benfica	3	1	0	2	1	4	−3	3

Group E

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Villarreal	3	2	1	0	9	1	+8	7
Liverpool	3	2	0	1	5	8	−3	6
Hertha BSC	3	1	0	2	5	5	0	3
Swansea City	3	0	1	2	2	7	−5	1

Group F

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Manchester United	3	1	2	0	4	1	+3	5
Derby County	3	1	2	0	5	3	+2	5
PSV Eindhoven	3	1	1	1	5	5	0	4
Paris Saint-Germain	3	0	1	2	3	8	−5	1

Ranking of second-placed teams

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Dinamo Zagreb	3	2	0	1	6	2	+4	6
Leicester City	3	2	0	1	4	3	+1	6
Liverpool	3	2	0	1	5	8	−3	6
Derby County	3	1	2	0	5	3	+2	5
VfL Wolfsburg	3	1	1	1	7	4	+3	4
Everton	3	1	1	1	5	6	−1	4

Knockout stages

	Quarter-finals				Semi-finals				Final
	25 February
	Manchester United	1
					1 April – Madejski Stadium
	Reading	3
					Reading	1
	13 March
					Bayern Munich	3
	Leicester City	1 (4)
									2 May – The Den
	Bayern Munich (p)	1 (5)
									Bayern Munich	2
	6 March
									Dinamo Zagreb	0
	Southampton	2
					10 April – St. Mary's Stadium
	Villarreal	1
					Southampton	1
	26 February
					Dinamo Zagreb	3
	Tottenham Hotspur	0
	Dinamo Zagreb	1

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

References