Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes is confident the Dons can defeat Slovenian club Maribor to reach the final qualifying stage of the Europa League.
The Reds have seen off Luxembourgers Fola Esch and Latvian club Ventspils to reach the third qualifying round for the third successive season and McInnes believes his team can go at least one stage further.
The Aberdeen manager said: “In every cup tournament there is an increase in the level of competition the further we progress.
“So, Maribor will provide that in the next round.
“They are a well-known side and have done very well in the past. It will take a strong Aberdeen performance on Thursday.
“The likelihood is that there will be 17,000 or 18,000 at the game, so the competition is heating up.
“We will be looking to get through that tie and we’re capable of it.”
The Dons have already done their homework on the opposition and the manager added: “We had people at the Levski versus Maribor match on Thursday and watched the first leg of their tie on the plane home from Latvia.
“We want Europe to give us the best experience we can get and the aim is to get through this tie. It will take an improved level of performance, but I think we’re getting there.
“We just want to put ourselves in the position where we are only one game from the group stages. That’s what we’re all working towards and that’s what our focus is on because we know the benefits of it for everyone.
“There is pressure in the first two rounds because when the names come out of the hat people automatically think ‘oh well, Aberdeen will win that’. But when you take a closer look at it, the teams are decent and they have good players.
“When you come out at these games, like Thursday, for example, it doesn’t feel like a top arena and there’s not a huge crowd. So you have to make sure the players treat the game with the respect it’s due.
“That’s no disrespect to the teams we’ve played but you know if you get through there are bigger teams, bigger stadiums lying in wait for you.
“That’s the excitement of being in Europe but you need these games to get ready for it.
“And it’s difficult to do that at this time of the year. There is a pressure in the first few rounds because, and you have heard managers in Scotland talk about it in relation to the League Cup format, it still feels like pre-season.
“Clubs are not game-ready and in our case you can come up against teams who are well into their season. We have played four competitive games now, I think we’ve had three good ones and one where we really were not at it.”
