Striker Bojan Miovski hopes his lethal partnership with Duk can help fire Aberdeen to a third-placed finish.
Cape Verde international Duk is set to return from injury for Wednesday’s crunch Premiership showdown with St Mirren at Pittodrie.
Aberdeen can confirm third on Wednesday if they defeat St Mirren, and fourth-placed Hearts fail to beat Rangers.
Duk missed the 2-1 loss at Hearts at the weekend after failing a late fitness test on a hamstring injury.
Boss Barry Robson confirmed the former Benfica striker will be fit to link up with Miovski against St Mirren.
The lethal strike partnership have scored 36 times this season – with Miovski and Duk both netting 18 goals each in all competitions.
Miovski, 23, said: “I really love playing with Duk and I think we create a lot of problems for defenders.
“Duk is more strong, he can hold the ball and I run behind the defenders.
“We support one another on the pitch and he helps me score goals.
“There is no competition between us to see who can score more – there is no rivalry.
“When Duk scores I am so happy for him, and if I score he is happy for me.
“So if we continue scoring the goals everyone will be happy.”
Duk and Miovski on clubs’ radars
The scoring form of the Dons dynamic duo has not gone unnoticed with a host of clubs monitoring the strikers ahead of the summer transfer window.
Southampton, recently relegated to the Championship, are understood to have Miovski on their radar.
Italian Serie A club Lazio reportedly considered moving for Miovski in the January transfer window, with their fellow top-flight sides, Bologna and Spezia, and French club Stade de Reims, also thought to be interested in securing his services.
Everton and Burnley, recently promoted to the English Premier League, are monitoring Duk with the view to a potential summer swoop.
Duk scooped Aberdeen’s Player of the Year honour at the club’s annual awards ceremony.
The 23-year-old was also named in the PFA Scotland Premiership Team of the Year.
North Macedonian international Miovski has three years left on his Dons deal, while Duk is contracted until summer 2025.
Both Miovski and Duk recently indicated they have no plans to exit Pittodrie in the summer.
Strike duo aim to become more lethal
They have a bond both on and off the pitch, and regularly discuss how to improve as a strike duo.
Miovski is confident it is a partnership that will get even better.
He said: “Duk is a really funny guy.
“We speak every day in training about how we can improve and do new things on the pitch.”
The enormity of finishing third
A resurgence in form orchestrated by manager Robson has moved Aberdeen into pole position in the race to finish third.
When Robson was given the post on an interim basis in late January, the Dons were in the bottom six and 10 points off third.
Now the Reds are closing in on finishing third, which could bring European group stage football until December – should Celtic win the Scottish Cup.
Celtic have already qualified for the Champions League having won the Premiership title.
👌 The pass from Leighton Clarkson.
🤩 Bojan Miovski's header.#StandFree | #cinchPrem pic.twitter.com/LQZf7I2jVk
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) April 24, 2023
If they complete the domestic treble, the Euro slot for the Scottish Cup winners will go to the club who finish third.
That third-placed club will enter into the Europa League play-offs, just one two-legged tie away from the groups and a £3.2 million Uefa prize payment.
Lose the play-offs and there is the consolation of dropping into the Europa Conference League group stages and landing a £2.7 million prize.
Miovski accepts the enormity of the push to close out third.
He said: “Every game is very important and we are going into them to win.
“We play differently now under the manager as we are more aggressive and score goals.
“Every goal I score I feel proud of myself and also my team when we win games.
“We aim to finish third.”
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