The Dons may have bowed out of the Conference League, but they did so with their heads held high and pride intact after a battling performance in Thessaloniki.
It was always likely to be a backs-to-the-wall type of evening, and they had a few narrow escapes, but the defence held firm and the players rose to the challenge against a very decent PAOK side.
The aim will now be to get a first group victory in the last couple of games in Helsinki and against Eintracht.
Europe apart, Aberdeen of course now have a Hampden final to look forward to, having scraped through against Hibernian last Saturday.
There can be no doubt they got lucky; Hibs were the better team, were unfortunate when Martin Boyle was ruled marginally offside, and they should have had a penalty, but the Edinburgh side failed to take their chances, and could not capitalise when Jack MacKenzie stupidly got himself sent off.
Having played some of their best football of the season a few days previously in the win over Motherwell, Aberdeen reverted to what we have seen for much of the campaign, and the display was anything but easy on the eye.
It was however effective, thanks to the clinical talent of Bojan Miovski.
Had the Dons played like that and lost, there would have been uproar, but the Macedonian got them out of jail, not for the first time in his Aberdeen career, and his goal was of the highest quality.
Having got the result, and that is after all what cup football is all about, they will now take on Rangers the week before Christmas.
I attended their win over Hearts, and it is fair to say the Ibrox side is a different animal under Philippe Clement compared to the Michael Beale team which surrendered so meekly to the Dons when they last met.
Having failed to win the tournament in a dozen years, the Glasgow outfit will be desperate to pick up the silverware, and I anticipate it being a hugely difficult afternoon for Aberdeen at the national stadium.
The side has seven games to negotiate before then, all of them of a demanding nature, but they will have to somehow find a consistent level of performance if they are to end their decade-long trophy drought. A repeat of their semi-final showing will end in certain defeat.
The first of those matches is tomorrow afternoon at Celtic Park, and the champions are sure to be hurting after their mauling in Madrid.
Only once previously, against Barcelona in 2016, have they suffered a bigger loss than their 6-0 humbling in The Metropolitano, and it was an embarrassing watch.
I was surprised an experienced manager like Brendan Rodgers did not take a more pragmatic approach as the goals rained in, and the decision not to certainly contributed to their margin of defeat.
It will be an entirely different scenario tomorrow, and I would expect them to bounce back, but if they show any sign of fragility, the Dons have to be ready to capitalise.
Whether they are able to do so will depend very much on which Aberdeen turns up in the east end of Glasgow.
Levein appointment makes sense
St Johnstone’s decision to turn to Craig Levein in a bid to salvage their season came initially as something of a surprise, but it makes sense, and I would be very confident the big man can help to turn them round.
Bringing Andy Kirk with him was key to Craig returning to the madness of the managerial world, and having cut his teeth at Brechin City, and enjoyed some success there, the Northern Irishman will have a key role assisting the former Scotland boss.
St Johnstone Football Club is delighted to announce that Craig Levein has been appointed as its new First Team Manager.
Andy Kirk will also join as Assistant Manager.
The 59-year-old joins on a contract that runs until May, 2026 at McDiarmid Park. #SJFC
— St. Johnstone FC (@StJohnstone) November 5, 2023
I have got to know Craig well over the years, have worked with him on countless occasions on the radio, and have the greatest respect for the Fifer.
He has matured, which will benefit Saints, and does not complicate the game. The players will, I am sure, enjoy his style of management, and I would fully expect to see the Perth side climb the table.
