2015–16 Premier League International Cup
 The Den in South Bermondsey, London hosted the final | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 19 August 2015 – 4 May 2016 |
| Teams | 16 (from 6 associations) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Villarreal (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  PSV Eindhoven |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 31 |
| Goals scored | 98 (3.16 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Kasey Palmer(6 goals) |
← 2014–15 2016–17 → | |
International football competition
The 2015–16 Premier League International Cup was the second season of the Premier League International Cup, a European club football competition organised by the Premier League for under-21 players.[1]
Manchester City were the defending champions, after beating Porto 1–0 in the previous season's final, but were eliminated in the group stage.
Qualification
For English sides, qualification was achieved via performance in the 2014–15 Barclays Under 21 Premier League, with the top eight sides securing a place in the competition. Manchester United U21s (champions) and Southampton U21s (8th place) did not take up the opportunity to enter the competition and were replaced by Tottenham Hotspur U21s and Everton U21s, who finished 9th and 10th respectively.[2] The participation of European sides was achieved through invitation and was influenced by the quality of each club's academy. All eight teams from the previous season returned to the competition.[1]
Group stage
Group stage matches were played between 19 August 2015 and 23 December 2015. The teams were drawn into four groups, each containing two English sides and two European sides.
| Color key in group tables |
|---|
| Group winners and runners-up advance to the quarterfinals |
Group A
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Benfica | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 9 |
 Chelsea | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 6 |
| Liverpool | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 3 |
 Celtic | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9 | −8 | 0 |
Source: [citation needed]
Chelsea 
v Liverpool
v Liverpool | 11 September 2015 | Chelsea | 4–2 | Liverpool | Aldershot |
| 19:05 BST | Swift  6'Palmer 51', 63', 65' | Report 1, 2 | Sinclair 18', 36' | Stadium: Recreation Ground Attendance: 994 |
Celtic 
v 
Benfica
v Benfica | 24 September 2015 | Celtic | 1–2 | Benfica | High Wycombe |
| 19:00 BST | McIlduff 90' | Report | Gonçalves 37' Sarkic 54' | Stadium: Adams Park Attendance: 355 Referee: Carl Brook |
Chelsea v Benfica
v Benfica | 16 October 2015 | Chelsea | 0–3 | Benfica | Aldershot |
| 19:05 BST | Report 1, 2 | Gonçalves 45' Carvalho 62'Dias 64' | Stadium: Recreation Ground |
Liverpool v Benfica
v Benfica | 20 November 2015 | Liverpool | 0–2 | Benfica | Chester |
| 19:00 GMT | Report | Gonçalves 39' Carvalho 48' | Stadium: Deva Stadium |
Chelsea v Celtic
v Celtic | 4 December 2015 | Chelsea | 5–0 | Celtic | Aldershot |
| 19:05 GMT | Ali 4' Wright 5'Musonda 15'Palmer 23'Mitchell 90+1' (pen.) | Report 1, 2 | Stadium: Recreation Ground |
Liverpool v Celtic
v Celtic | 12 December 2015 | Liverpool | 2–0 | Celtic | Chester |
| 14:00 GMT | Lennon 86' Brannagan 88' (pen.) | Report | Stadium: Deva Stadium |
Group B
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tottenham Hotspur | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 6 |
| Porto | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 6 |
| Everton | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 3 |
 Schalke 04 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 3 |
Source: [citation needed]
Everton v Tottenham Hotspur
v Tottenham Hotspur | 31 August 2015 | Everton | 4–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | Liverpool |
| 14:00 BST | Henen 15' (pen.) Byrne 45+2', 50' | Report | Maghoma 52' | Stadium: Goodison Park |
Porto v 
Schalke 04
v Schalke 04 | 25 September 2015 | Porto | 1–0 | Schalke 04 | High Wycombe |
| 19:00 BST | Díaz 61' | Report | Stadium: Adams Park |
Everton v Schalke 04
v Schalke 04 | 20 October 2015 | Everton | 0–1 | Schalke 04 | Liverpool |
| 19:00 BST | Report | Pick 10' | Stadium: Goodison Park |
Tottenham Hotspur v Schalke 04
v Schalke 04 | 3 November 2015 | Tottenham Hotspur | 3–1 | Schalke 04 | Stevenage |
| 19:00 GMT | Amos 25' Harrison 55' (pen.), 70' | Report | Pick 65' | Stadium: Broadhall Way Attendance: 217 Referee: Josh Smith |
Everton v Porto
v Porto | 22 November 2015 | Everton | 2–3 | Porto | Liverpool |
| 12:00 GMT | Connolly 75' Charsley 86' | Report 1, 2 | Silva 6' Cláudio 12'Díaz 81' | Stadium: Goodison Park |
Tottenham Hotspur v Porto
v Porto | 23 December 2015 | Tottenham Hotspur | 4–0 | Porto | High Wycombe |
| 12:00 GMT | Coulthirst 31', 35' Walkes 76'Sonupe 89' | Report 1, 2 | Stadium: Adams Park Referee: Josh Smith |
Group C
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villarreal | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 6 |
| PSV Eindhoven | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 6 |
| Leicester City | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 3 |
| Norwich City | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 3 |
Source: [citation needed]
Norwich City v 
PSV Eindhoven
v PSV Eindhoven | 2 September 2015 | Norwich City | 0–3 | PSV Eindhoven | Norwich |
| 19:00 BST | Report | Pereiro 24' Cmiljanić 86'Locadia 88' | Stadium: Carrow Road Attendance: 2,415 |
Norwich City v 
Villarreal
v Villarreal | 7 October 2015 | Norwich City | 1–0 | Villarreal | Norwich |
| 19:00 BST | Ramsay ?' | Report 1, 2 | Stadium: Carrow Road Attendance: 3,508 |
Leicester City v Norwich City
v Norwich City | 20 October 2015 | Leicester City | 2–1 | Norwich City | Leicester |
| 19:00 BST | Dodoo 36', 77' | Report | Ashley-Seal 3' | Stadium: King Power Stadium Attendance: 2,026 |
PSV Eindhoven v Villarreal
v Villarreal | 27 October 2015 | PSV Eindhoven | 0–4 | Villarreal | High Wycombe |
| 19:00 GMT | Report | Sol 31', 58' Pedraza 57'Suárez 81' | Stadium: Adams Park |
Leicester City v PSV Eindhoven
v PSV Eindhoven | 16 November 2015 | Leicester City | 0–2 | PSV Eindhoven | Leicester |
| 19:00 GMT | Report | Pereiro 40', 62' | Stadium: King Power Stadium Attendance: 3,380 |
Leicester City v Villarreal
v Villarreal | 1 December 2015 | Leicester City | 2–3 | Villarreal | Leicester |
| 19:00 GMT | Cain 42' Muskwe 55' | Report Report | Carlitos 25' Guerra 38'Pedraza 51' | Stadium: King Power Stadium Attendance: 2,847[3] |
Group D
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunderland | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 7 |
| Athletic Bilbao | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 6 |
| Borussia Mönchengladbach | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 2 |
| Manchester City | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 1 |
Source: [citation needed]
Manchester City v Borussia Mönchengladbach
v Borussia Mönchengladbach | 19 August 2015 | Manchester City | 1–1 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | Manchester |
| 19:00 BST | Plummer 20' | Report | Lieder 9' | Stadium: Academy Stadium |
Manchester City v Sunderland
v Sunderland | 26 August 2015 | Manchester City | 0–1 | Sunderland | Manchester |
| 19:00 BST | Report | Mandron 80' | Stadium: Academy Stadium |
Borussia Mönchengladbach v Athletic Bilbao
v Athletic Bilbao | 9 September 2015 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 1–3 | Athletic Bilbao | High Wycombe |
| 19:00 BST | Rizzo 55' | Report | Lozano 26' Unai Bilbao 75' Guruzeta 87' | Stadium: Adams Park Attendance: 183 |
Sunderland v Borussia Mönchengladbach
v Borussia Mönchengladbach | 12 October 2015 | Sunderland | 1–1 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | Sunderland |
| 19:00 BST | Mandron 54' | Report | Ritter 81' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 836[4] Referee: G Hart |
Sunderland v Athletic Bilbao
v Athletic Bilbao | 11 November 2015 | Sunderland | 2–1 | Athletic Bilbao | Sunderland |
| 19:00 GMT | Graham 32' Smith 83' (pen.) | Report | Guruzeta 44' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 888 Referee: A. Greenwood (North Yorkshire) |
Manchester City v Athletic Bilbao
v Athletic Bilbao | 2 December 2015 | Manchester City | 1–2 | Athletic Bilbao | Manchester |
| 19:00 GMT | Celina 52' | Report | Urcelay 48' Guruzeta 77' | Stadium: Academy Stadium |
Knockout stages
The knockout stages comprised three rounds played as one-off matches: quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final. In the quarter-finals, group stage winners played against the runners-up from another group.[5]
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Finals | ||||||||||||
| Benfica | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Porto | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Porto | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Villarreal | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Villarreal | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Athletic Bilbao | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Villarreal | 4 | |||||||||||||
| PSV | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Chelsea | 5 | |||||||||||||
| Chelsea | 1 | |||||||||||||
| PSV | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Sunderland | 0 | |||||||||||||
| PSV | 1 | |||||||||||||
Quarter-finals
Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea
v Chelsea | 28 January 2016 | Tottenham Hotspur | 2–5 | Chelsea | Stevenage |
| 19:05 GMT | Walkes 54' Miller 72' | Report 1, 2 | Mitchell 6' Palmer 10'Aina 35'Abraham 87', 90+4' | Stadium: Broadhall Way Referee: Josh Smith |
Villarreal v Athletic Bilbao
v Athletic Bilbao | 3 February 2016 | Villarreal | 2–1 | Athletic Bilbao | High Wycombe |
| 19:00 GMT | Sol 4' Pedraza 47' | Report 1, 2 | Guruzeta 50' | Stadium: Adams Park Referee: Anthony Coggins |
Benfica v Porto
v Porto | 3 February 2016 | Benfica | 0–1 | Porto | South Bermondsey |
| 19:00 GMT | Report 1, 2 | Gleison 34' | Stadium: The Den |
Sunderland v PSV
v PSV | 5 February 2016 | Sunderland | 0–1 | PSV | Sunderland |
| 19:00 GMT | Report 1, 2 | Leemans 55' | Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 905 |
Semi-finals
Chelsea v PSV
v PSV | 3 March 2016 | Chelsea | 1–2 | PSV | Aldershot |
| 19:05 GMT | Palmer 6' | Report 1, 2 | Chalobah 16' (o.g.) Bergwijn 43' | Stadium: Recreation Ground Referee: Carl Brook |
Porto v Villarreal
v Villarreal | 20 April 2016 | Porto | 1–2 | Villarreal | South Bermondsey |
| 19:00 BST | Diaz 74' | Report 1, 2 | Cantalapiedra 4' Gutiérrez 87' | Stadium: The Den |
Final
PSV v Villarreal
v Villarreal | 4 May 2016 | PSV | 2–4 (a.e.t.) | Villarreal | South Bermondsey |
| 19:00 BST | Leemans 44' (pen.) Koch 53' | Report 1, 2 | Suárez 26', 96' Sol 85', 110' | Stadium: The Den |
See also
References
- ^ a b "Premier League International Cup confirmed for second season". Premier League. 3 August 2015. Archived from the original on 31 December 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
- ^ "2015/16 Premier League International Cup fixtures released". Premier League. 3 August 2015. Archived from the original on 31 December 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
- ^ "U21s Report: Leicester City 2 Villarreal 3". Leicester City FC.
- ^ "Sunderland U21 1-1 Borussia Monchengladbach U21 report: Mikael Mandron on target". ChronicleLive. 12 October 2015.
- ^ "Fixtures: Premier League International Cup – Season 2015–16". Premier League. Archived from the original on 25 December 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
