Aberdeen have previous form for wrecking season-long unbeaten streaks of Rangers and Celtic – and will have to do the same at Ibrox tomorrow.
The Dons are aiming to ruin Rangers’ title party in Govan on the day Steven Gerrard’s side will be presented with the Premiership trophy.
Rangers have a 100% Premiership record at home this season, having won all 18 league games at Ibrox, scoring 53 goals and conceding just four times on their home patch.
One of those victories was a 4-0 humbling of ]Aberdeen in November.
Providing Aberdeen don’t score twice tomorrow, Rangers will set a new British record for the least goals conceded in a league campaign.
In contrast, the Dons have netted just 36 goals in 37 games.
If Stephen Glass’ side fail to score at Ibrox tomorrow, they will equal the worst-ever return of 36 goals in a season in Aberdeen’s 118-year history.
That unwanted mark was set only four times previously – in 1904/05, 1916/17, 2009/10 and 2011/12.
The stats do not point to an Aberdeen win, which is why bookmakers have made the Reds 10-1 outsiders to triumph and dampen Rangers title celebrations.
However, there is precedence of the Dons ruining the unbeaten runs, title parties and league title bids of Rangers and Celtic on the last day of the season.
Dramatic win at Ibrox in 1968 ends Rangers’ hopes of finishing the season unbeaten – and their title dream – on a day Sir Alex Ferguson scored
On April 27, 1968 the Dons decimated Rangers’ season with victory on the last day of their campaign that not only ended the Ibrox side’s unbeaten league run, but denied them the title crown.
Rangers had gone the entire season unbeaten when they faced Eddie Turnbull’s Aberdeen at Ibrox in the final day of the campaign.
The title race went to the wire and, despite having not lost in the league, Rangers still trailed Celtic by goal difference.
Aberdeen had not won at Ibrox since 1961 and the 40,000 crowd were expecting that run to continue when former Don Dave Smith fired the home side in front after 17 minutes.
The Dons levelled through Dave Johnston 12 minutes later, before Alex Ferguson, who would later go on to achieve managerial greatness with Aberdeen and Manchester United, restored Rangers’ lead early in the second half.
Johnston netted his second to level in the 58th minute.
With Rangers pushing forward to recapture the lead, the Dons broke away seconds from full-time, with substitute Ian Taylor silencing the home crowd with a winner.
It was a hammer blow to Rangers’ title hopes and the Ibrox side had to hope leaders Celtic lost by a huge margin to Dunfermline Athletic in their final league game the following week.
Celtic won 2-1 to claim the title.
RANGERS: Sorenen, Johansen, Mathieson, Greig, McKinnon, Smith, Henderson, Willoughby, Ferguson, Johnston, Presson.
ABERDEEN: Clark, Whyte, Shewan, Petersen, McMillan, Buchan, Little, Smith, Johnston, Robb, Craig (Taylor).
Andy Considine’s winner flattens Celtic title champagne as Aberdeen secure runners-up finish
There is recent precedent for Aberdeen popping the balloons on a title celebration as they defeated Celtic 1-0 at Parkhead on May 13, 2018 – the day Brendan Rodgers’ side received the Premiership trophy.
Celtic went into the game undefeated domestically at Parkhead for two years since Rodgers had taken over in 2016.
The Dons had not won at Parkhead in the league in 26 previous attempts.
Celtic were set to celebrate a seventh successive league title, but the Dons had other ideas as their fight to finish runners-up was still very much alive.
Aberdeen were denied the opener in the 10th minute when Greg Stewart’s free-kick from 20 yards crashed off the crossbar.
To the delight of the travelling Dons support, in the 47th minute, Andy Considine broke the deadlock when powering a superb finish beyond keeper Scott Bain at the near post.
Celtic would push on in an attempt to keep their unbeaten home record, but keeper Joe Lewis saved a Leigh Griffiths free-kick and a Stuart Armstrong drive.
As the Hoops piled on the pressure, Lewis then saved a Griffiths header.
Aberdeen held on to secure the win required to finish Premiership runners-up for a fourth successive season.
Nearest rivals Rangers drew 5-5 in a 10-goal thriller at Easter Road.
The Ibrox side finished three points behind Aberdeen.
The Dons will need to tap into the heroics of 1968 and 2018 to overcome Rangers tomorrow and dampen the celebrations when they receive the trophy at the end of the match.
Third place may be gone for Aberdeen following the 1-0 loss to Hibs on Wednesday.
But they are fighting for the pride of the club and to go into the summer and Glass’ squad rebuilding with positive, winning momentum.
CELTIC: Bain, Lustig, Boyata, Ajer, Tierney (Sinclair 52), Brown, Ntcham (Armstrong 68), Forrest, Rogic, McGregor, Dembele (Griffiths 52).
ABERDEEN: Lewis, Logan, O’Connor, Reynolds, Considine, Ball, Shinnie, Stewart (Campbell 65), McLean, Mackay-Steven (May 85), Cosgrove (Rooney 72).
