The Dons might have fallen to an expected defeat on matchday one of their Conference League campaign, but the performance was much better than had been anticipated, and perhaps offers some hope that they could after all make a bigger impact in the competition than many had thought.
Despite the concession of the early penalty, the team settled down, and for the most part put in a composed and disciplined display.
Kelle Roos had to come to the team’s rescue on occasion – no surprise in such a fixture – but Eintracht did not carve out as many clear-cut openings as they would have hoped for, and that was down largely to what was a confident showing by most of the Aberdeen players.
They performed well as a unit, but some individuals stood out on what was for some the biggest challenge of their careers to date.
Given the pressure that has been mounting during what has been a poor start to the season, they stepped up when Barry Robson needed them most, and he will have been delighted by the contributions of Nicky Devlin, Stefan Gartenmann – who looks the real deal – Graeme Shinnie and Jamie McGrath.
Of course, they still lost, and that cannot be overlooked, but given that many were anticipating a heavy defeat, the players left the magnificent Deutsche Bank Park with their pride intact, and hopefully that will help provide the much-needed spark which has been painfully absent to date.
Sunday’s encounter with Ross County will almost certainly be a demanding one as Malky Mackay’s side have made a decent start and will be organised and well-drilled at Pittodrie.
Whatever the outcome, I hope there is no reference to the Dons team being fatigued having played on Thursday evening.
Clubs have been operating in Europe and at home for decades; such excuses were never previously put forward, and despite the current vogue for doing so, they ring hollow. That would particularly be the case given the relatively short flight back from Frankfurt.
On the same night, Rangers got off to a strong start, overcoming a rocky first half to collect all three points from Real Betis.
We gave it our all out there 👊#StandFree | #UECL pic.twitter.com/QXERmNfBFQ
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) September 21, 2023
The Ibrox side have been given the most manageable draw of the three Scottish sides, and having won their opener, will feel confident of enjoying a fruitful campaign.
It was the same old story for Celtic in the Champions League 48 hours earlier. Like last season, they competed for a fair chunk of the game in Rotterdam, but failed to take the chances they created, and Feyenoord were clinical. Helped by the two sendings-off, the Dutch team eventually cruised to victory.
Given that the Glasgow side has amassed 3, 3, 3 and 2 points respectively in the last four group campaigns, it seems fair to suggest that in the climate which has existed for the past decade or so, Celtic are no longer genuine challengers at the top table.
Much is made of the big ‘European nights’ atmosphere at Celtic Park, and it can be special – I have sampled it on many occasions – but the fact is they have won just a single home match during the period mentioned above, and it would be no surprise to see a similar outcome this time round.
All in a good cause
It was my pleasure earlier in the week to host the annual Paul Lawrie Foundation fundraising dinner, always an enjoyable evening.
Paul, his wife Marian, and their small team put in an incredible amount of work, and it is heart-warming to see the backing they get on the night from sponsors and supporters.
The money raised each year goes a long way towards opening up the sport to countless youngsters, making golf affordable and accessible.
Having achieved what he has over the years, it would have been easy for Paul to sit back and enjoy the riches he has earned, but instead he set up the Foundation and devotes much time to the project.
European Tour winner David Law came through it, and is a shining example at the elite level, but countless others, who will never reach the top, have also benefited, and that, I know, will mean even more to the Lawries.
Conversation