Aberdeen’s meeting with Viking FK tonight is their first since the Energy Cities Community Cup contest at Pittodrie five years ago.
The cup, which was won on all three occasions it was contested by Aberdeen, united the two coastal cities, with Viking based in Stavanger on Norway’s west coast.
It was a Dons team missing Adam Rooney, Niall McGinn and Danny Ward due to international duty, with teenagers Michael Rose and Frank Ross starting alongside Barry Robson, Cammy Smith and Willo Flood. Kieffer Moore, now a Wales international striker playing for Cardiff City, led the line for Viking.
A crowd of 4,396 attended the match, with entry to the game free.
Kosovan winger Zymer Bytyqi – still at Viking today – gave the visitors the lead after just three minutes, as the Norwegian side countered from a Barry Robson corner and Bytyqi rolled the ball past Scott Brown.
The Dons stopper then had to be on his guard to claw away a Suleiman Abdullahi header, before Flood had the first chance of the game for Aberdeen thwarted by Viking goalkeeper Iven Austbo.
Brown kept out Moore and Samuel Adegbenro had a curling effort wide before the break as Viking finished the first 45 strongly.
Graeme Shinnie, Kenny McLean and Scott Wright were brought on at half-time, with McLean forcing an excellent reflex stop from replacement Viking goalkeeper Arild Ostbo.
Adegbenro’s slaloming run set up Steinthor Thorsteinsson to shoot at Brown but the goalkeeper clung on, but on 62 minutes the Dons responded with the two substitutes, McLean and Wright, combining for the latter to stab home the leveller.
Summer arrival Joe Nuttall missed a chance to put the Dons in front from a Jonny Hayes centre but McLean proved the match-winner five minutes from time, heading home from close range after a Hayes corner hit the woodwork.