Today isn’t the first time Aberdeen have met Dundee United in a League Cup semi-final, we take a look at previous meetings between the sides.
League Cup semi final 2008: Aberdeen 1-4 Dundee United
Aberdeen’s hopes of reaching their first cup final in eight years were dashed last with a 4-1 defeat against Dundee United at Tynecastle in the semi-final of the League Cup.
The Dons had led through Andrew Considine’s goal in the 19th minute, but Darren Dods headed United level midway through the first half before they took control against an error-strewn Aberdeen side in the second period.
The Tannadice side was gifted the lead when Christian Kalvenes converted a corner conceded by Jamie Langfield’s miss-kick.
The Dons goalkeeper then slipped when Craig Conway got goalside of Dons defender Zander Diamond and the United midfielder made it 3-1.
Any slim hopes of a comeback ended when Lee Miller was sent off for Jimmy Calderwood’s side, and United midfielder Morgaro Gomis rounded off a miserable night for the Dons, and Langfield in particular, when the goalkeeper’s attempted clearance ricocheted off him and into the net.
League Cup semi-final 2000: Aberdeen 1-0 Dundee United
Moroccan Hicham Zerouali had the Red Army rocking in the Dens Park aisles and dreaming of pulling off the first half of a cup double at Hampden Park.
Zerouali led Aberdeen to a 1-0 win against Dundee United in a tense CIS League Cup semi-final.
Zerouali came up smiling despite being kicked from one end of Dens Park to the other in a match where United tested the 22-year-old’s temperament and his suitability for the physical Scottish game.
His name did not go on the scoresheet but Zerouali played the starring role in a clever move with sponsor’s man-of-the-match Andy Dow which led to Arild Stavrum scoring the only goal of the game past United goalkeeper Alan Combe
Coca-Cola Cup semi-final 1997: Aberdeen 1-3 Dundee United
Aberdeen’s terrible season sank further into the mire with an all-too-predictable Coca-Cola Cup semi-final defeat at Tynecastle.
The cup final place which would have eased the suffering for everyone at the club – especially manager Roy Aitken – was denied the Dons by a professional and worthy Dundee United victory.
The Dons supporters in the poor 10,495 Ibrox crowd made their views clear at full-time with chants for Aitken’s dismissal.
The only supportive messages came from mocking United supporters chanting Aitken must stay. United took the lead in an engrossing semi-final through Robbie Winters, lost it to a Dean Windass equaliser, then eased through to the final against Celtic courtesy of second-half goals from Craig Easton and another from Winters.
Skol Cup semi final 1988: Aberdeen 2-0 Dundee United
Aberdeen laid their Dens Park Cup tie bogy with a thoroughly merited victory against Dundee United to earn a place in the Skol Cup final at Hampden for the second year in succession.
Having lost a cup tie against United at Dens on two occasions in the past decade – in the 1979-80 final replay and the Scottish Cup semi-final replay in the spring of 1988 – this win proved a specially sweet one for manager Alex Smith’s side.
A John Hewitt goal after two minutes set the Dons on their way and following a sustained period of United pressure, former Tangerines player Davie Dodds headed a second for Aberdeen 10 minutes from time.