Aberdeen manager Stephen Glass insists there will be no excuses if his side fail to progress in the Conference League.
The Swedes are bottom of the Allsvenskan with one win from their opening eight matches.
They are due to resume domestic football on Saturday with the first of their scheduled friendlies ahead of the resumption of league action on July 4 and will have played three competitive fixtures under new manager Per-Mathias Hogmo, by the time they visit Pittodrie for the first leg on July 22.
Glass, however, will not let his side’s lack of competitive action become a factor.
He said: “If you are knocked out people point to the fact you haven’t been playing but they are coming off a three-week break after losing the cup final on penalties so it is not too dissimilar to us. The one thing they have is competitive games before we play each other.
“Our season finished mid-May, they finished late May. We can control our training, our environment, and we are not taking on games we don’t want to.
“I don’t want to start talking about excuses before a game even starts. We’ll be expected to make progress when this game comes round, of that I’ve no doubt.”
Dons will do their homework
The research is already underway by the Dons as they aim to glean as much information about their opponents as they can but Glass is not concerned by the appointment of Norwegian Hogmo, believing it is the Swedes who will have the tougher task in assessing his side.
He said: “If you were asking them the same question it would be yes as we have played with a group of players we won’t have.
“We’ll changed more than them but I think they will have played five or six games before we face them so we will have had a good look at them and what their manager wants to implement.
“I don’t think them having a new manager will be an issue given the games they will have played.
“I’ve had a quick look and spoken to some of the staff already. As soon as the draw was made I was on the computer to see where they are in their league and the players they’ve got.
“Going back to Gothenburg is obviously something special for the club and we have the first leg at home so it is something to look forward to.
“They play games again starting on Saturday so we’ll get a good look at them.”
Hacken a former foe for Glass
For the Dons, Hacken will be a new addition to the list of clubs they have faced in European competition but Glass knows all about the Swedes, having faced them when he was at Dunfermline in 2007.
The Pars were beaten 2-1 on aggregate 14 years ago and the Aberdeen boss remembers the games well due to a mistake by goalkeeper Sean Murdoch which proved costly.
He said: “I looked up their stadium to see and I don’t even remember going to their stadium. I could lie and say I do but if it is a new stadium I’ll be found out. I think when we physically go there and walk in the place it will spark a memory.
“I remember the home game more as our goalkeeper let in a howler which cost us.
“They were probably a stronger team than they are just now but they are a well-respected European team which is in there quite often. It’s one of those teams which you have seen in there before.
“We were in the Championship and playing in Europe which was a bit strange after losing to Celtic in the Scottish Cup final while being relegated.
“But I think with the group of players we had we expected to win and it was disappointing given the manner in which we went out. It was a costly mistake.”
