To stay in with a chance of qualifying for the Europa Conference League knock-out stages, Aberdeen must get a win against PAOK at Pittodrie on Thursday.
The Group G frontrunners are on six points following their wins over HJK Helsinki and Eintracht Frankfurt.
In contrast, Barry Robson’s Dons have picked up one point so far, having followed up a battling loss in Frankfurt with a 1-1 home draw against HJK before the international break.
With Eintracht sitting second on three points and HJK also on one point in the group, the visit of Greek side PAOK looks really important.
It would be hard to see Aberdeen qualifying from the section if they are left with no victories after three of their six group matches, especially with trips to Thessaloniki and Helsinki in November before a December visit from Bundesliga giants Frankfurt to come in their three remaining fixtures.
With Robson’s side having secured European group stage action for the first time since 2007 ahead of this season, it would be a shame for some of the games to become dead-rubbers for the Dons and the Red Army.
It was disappointing Storm Babet has necessitated the postponement of Aberdeen v Dundee on Saturday night, as a strong performance under the lights to bag three Premiership points would have set Aberdeen up nicely for their crack at PAOK.
I haven’t seen PAOK’s group games, but Robson and his coaching staff will have.
Their results have shown they’re dangerous in attack, something also reflected in their Conference League qualifying tie win over Hearts earlier in the season.
However, the Reds’ new-look defence, including the back three of Slobodan Rubezic, Richard Jensen and Stefan Gartenmann, are getting tighter with every game. And they have two league clean sheets in their last three.
Rubezic in particular has been much-improved of late in his reading of the game.
The Dons also have a host of good midfield options – with likes of young Connor Barron coming back on to a game in recent weeks and adding to the options there, which obviously include skipper Graeme Shinnie.
I would like to see Aberdeen bring more of an edge in front of goal against PAOK than they did in the 0-0 home league draw with St Johnstone before the international break.
Against Saints, as well as in the 1-1 Europa Conference League draw with HJK the midweek prior and some other matches this term, they have been guilty of passing up some important chances, though they showed a magnificent attitude against HJK to earn a draw late on.
As I’ve said in this column previously, Bojan Miovski has been doing very well upfront, with eight goals in 14 games (all competitions) so far.
I hope Duk is coming back from the international window with his shooting boots to support his strike partner.
Whoever lines up for Aberdeen against PAOK, the atmosphere generated by the supporters will have a big part to play.
It’s important the Dons are relentless to whip up the crowd and give them something to cheer about.
Looking at the group table, PAOK look like challenging opponents.
But bigger clubs than PAOK have come a cropper having not had the mentality to be able to cope in front of the Pittodrie crowd, and nothing is impossible. You have to make sure you test them.
Like I said, Aberdeen have good players throughout their side, and if the team show passion, they will have the similarly passionate backing of the home support.
In 1971, we drew 1-1 with Juventus in the Uefa Cup – a team with the best goalscorer in the world at that time in Pietro Anastasi, as well as world famous defenders.
But we got a result because everyone at Pittodrie was up for it.
And it was the same when we played Eintracht there (1-1 draw, 1979).
You just need to be ready to have a right go.
PAOK is massive night and could set the tone for the rest of the Euro campaign, as a win would keep the prospect of qualification for the knock-out stages alive going into the final three group matches.
It would also give PAOK, HJK and Frankfurt something to think about for the rest of the group campaign.
Will we see what forwards Sokler and Gueye can do in the weeks ahead?
With Aberdeen about to enter a spell which will see them play almost twice a week until the new year, I’d like to see striker Ester Sokler get some starts, rather than five minutes off the bench here and there.
We need to see what fringe men Sokler and the other striker signed in the summer, Pape Habib Gueye, can do at first-team level.
You can’t expect them to make something happen in the upcoming games if they’re only thrown on for a few minutes in the Premiership or in Europe.
I watched Gueye playing for the young team against Fraserburgh last midweek and felt he needs to take more shots at goal when he gets the ball around the box.
But I thought he looked fast and strong – despite Robson revealing he intentionally sent his fringe players into the Aberdeenshire Shield tie tired.
If he adds this element to his game, he might prove his worth to the Dons.
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