Former Aberdeen striker Darren Mackie netted a £1m header in 2007 and has called for a £3m goal hero to step up against Qarabag.
Mackie’s diving header in a 1-1 draw with Dnipro in Ukraine sealed Aberdeen’s qualification for the group stages of the UEFA Cup.
That memorable strike was dubbed the ‘£1m goal’ due to the cash windfall it brought the Reds.
Fast forward 14 years and more than £3m is up for grabs should the Dons knock out Qarabag in the Uefa Europa Conference League play-off second leg.
That would secure qualification for the group stages with a base prize payment of £2.5m before the cash boost of gate receipts, sponsorship and television revenue.
Aberdeen must over-turn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg against the Azerbaijan outfit.
Mackie said: “After I scored in Dnipro everyone started saying it was the £1m goal.
“I was happy that it helped the club financially but for me it was more the excitement as a player of being able to enjoy those European nights.
“Reaching the group stages is long overdue for Aberdeen so hopefully someone will deliver the goal to achieve that.
“The pitch in the first leg in Azerbaijan was terrible but Aberdeen made the best of a bad situation although they lost in the game.
“They are very much still in the tie and 1-0 is not the worst result to come away with after playing on that surface and losing an important player in Andy (Considine) to injury.
“Mentally they had to play with Andy’s injury in the back of their minds as well.
“They came through the Baku tie okay and with the home fans behind them at Pittodrie Aberdeen have every chance to make a special night.
“Beating Qarabag to reach the groups would give the supporters something to cheer and hopefully trips to look forward to depending on the travel restrictions.
“Should they qualify the downside is that it will not be so free and easy for the supporters to travel to the away group games as when we did it.”
Group stage qualification now tougher
In October 2007, Aberdeen had to negotiate just one round to reach the group stages.
This season the Reds have to steer past three rounds and have already seen off BK Hacken (Sweden) and Breidablik (Iceland).
Mackie said: “It is now harder to get to the groups due to the way the set up changed.
“Aberdeen have the opportunity tomorrow night and need to grab it with both hands and leave everything on the pitch.
“They have the ability and the players to do it against Qarabag.”
Aberdeen had drawn 0-0 at Pittodrie in the first leg to set up a mouth-watering trip to Ukraine against a highly-rated Dnipro side that had beaten Hibs 5-1 just two seasons prior to send the Easter Road side crashing out of Europe.
The away goal rule, scrapped by UEFA this season, would prove crucial in Ukraine as the Dons were cheered on by a die-hard travelling Red Army in the October 4 tie at the Meteor Stadium.
Having recovered from a niggling hamstring injury, Mackie was handed his first start since August by Jimmy Calderwood, coming in for Lee Miller.
Mackie said: “We knew it was going to be difficult in Ukraine, but we went over there full of belief that we could get a result.
“Everyone was on top of their game and at every opportunity we got the ball forward to get Dnipro turned to give the boys at the back a bit of a break.”
Elation at scoring the £1m goal in Dnipro
Aberdeen went ahead in the 27th minute when Richard Foster sped away from his marker and whipped a cross into the penalty area.
Mackie was perfectly placed and headed a bullet diving header from six yards.
It sparked jubilation within the travelling support.
Mackie said: “The elation of scoring that goal and watching our supporters go wild was an unbelievable feeling.
“Thankfully we got the break down the left with some quick thinking from Fozzy (Richard Foster) to take a quick throw in then get it played back into him.
“Fozzy then swung in an inch-perfect cross and thankfully I was in the right place at the right time – and the place went wild.
“It was special and we celebrated for 30 seconds to a minute, but then had to quickly get focused again.”
Dnipro level and set up tense finale
Only two seasons previously, Dnipro had qualified for the UEFA Cup group stages for the second successive season. They had a growing European pedigree.
That was proven when just eight years after being knocked out by the Dons, the Ukranian side reached the Europa League final, losing 3-2 to Sevilla.
Dnipro almost equalised after 62 minutes when defender Andriy Rusol’s header from a corner smashed off the crossbar.
They drew level when Andy Considine’s attempted clearance was deflected in by Andriy Vorobey to set up a tense finish.
Keeper Jamie Langfield tipped a late shot on to the crossbar but the Dons held on to progress to the group stages.
Mackie continued: “After we scored, every man was brilliant and needed to be because Dnipro put us under so much pressure.
“They hit the woodwork a few times, Langers (Langfield) pulled off some great saves and boys at the back were throwing themselves in front of everything.
“When the final whistle blew we couldn’t quite believe that we had made it.
“To be honest at that point we didn’t quite realise the enormity of it – and everyone was absolutely knackered.
“However, we still celebrated and were buzzing for what was to come.”
Panathinaikos, Atletico Madrid, Lokomotiv Moscow and FC Copenhagen
What was to come was Group B stage action against Panathinaikos (Greece), Atletico Madrid (Spain), Lokomotiv Moscow (Russia) and FC Copenhagen (Denmark).
At that fledgling stage in UEFA’s move to group stage action, teams did not play each other home and away.
Instead each team had two home games and two away – Aberdeen played Lokomotiv Moscow (1-1) and FC Copenhagen (4-0 win) at Pittodrie and faced Panathinaikos (3-0 loss) and Atletico Madrid (2-0 loss) on the road.
Aberdeen faced an Atletico Madrid side that boasted Sergio Aguero, now of Barcelona and ex-Manchester City, and Luis Garcia, a Champions League winner with Liverpool.
Just seven seasons after facing the Dons, Atletico Madrid would reach the Champions League final, losing 5-3 in a penalty shoot-out to city rivals Real Madrid.
Group stage injury heartache for Mackie
However, in a bitter blow Mackie was to sit out all those group game due to an ankle problem.
He said: “Unfortunately I was injured and missed all the group games.
“It happened up at Inverness where I flaked a little of the bone tendon off in my ankle.
“It is called an avulsion and it was niggling to the point where I had to be put in a cast for a few weeks to let it heal.
“It was disappointing to miss the group games, but I was supporting from the sides and just enjoying it with the rest of the lads as best I could.
“However, to still be part of it as a player, and a supporter, was special.
“Thankfully they went and got positive results so that I could be involved in another game, and what a game it was.
“Fingers crossed Aberdeen can go and do something similar themselves.”
Another memorable night against Bayern
Thankfully Mackie did get to experience the rewards of his £1m goal in Dnipro when Aberdeen progressed to the knock-out stages courtesy of an unforgettable 4-0 defeat of FC Copenhagen at a raucous Pittodrie.
Bayern Munich were four-time Champions League/European Cup champions when they faced the Dons. The 31-time Bundesliga champions have since won the Champions League a further two times, in 2013 and 2020.
Hosting the German giants reignited memories of arguably Pittodrie’s greatest ever European night – when Sir Alex Ferguson’s side overturned a 2-1 deficit to triumph 3-2 (3-2 on aggregate) in the European Cup Winner’s Cup quarter-final second leg.
They would famously go on to lift the trophy, defeating Real Madrid 2-1 after extra-time in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Aberdeen rolled back the years to stun Bayern with a 2-2 draw in the first leg at Pittodrie on February 14, 2008.
Fully recovered from injury, Mackie started against Bayern.
Aberdeen went ahead when Josh Walker netted a superb strike after 24 minutes, but soon after Miroslav Klose equalised.
Sone Aluko then fired the Dons ahead again in the 41st minute.
Hamit Altintop levelled in the 53rd minute on the rebound after Jamie Langfield had parried his penalty.
Aberdeen would lose the return leg 5-1 in Germany.
Mackie said: “Bayern Munich was probably the best atmosphere I have ever played in at Pittodrie.
“The place was just absolutely bouncing.
“To get the result we did against Bayern Munich was unreal – it was great, happy times.”
Red Army can drive Aberdeen to groups
Aberdeen have made 18,000 tickets available for the play-off second leg against Qarabag and are hoping for a sell out.
Mackie reckons the Red Army can inspire the Reds – just as they did against Bayern Munich- twice.
He said: “I cannot imagine how difficult it has been for the last 18 months for the team playing with no fans.
“It makes a huge difference having those supporters behind you. They are massive.”
“As an Aberdeen supporter myself I want the boys to get into the groups.”
DNIPRO: Kernozenko, Shershun, Shelaev, Samodin (Kornilenko 74), Vorobey, Rusol, Denisov, Kankava (Kravchenko 58), Andrienko, Nazarenko, Lyopa.
Subs Not Used: Startsev, Grytsay, Bartulovic, Matiukhin, Eshchenko.
ABERDEEN: Langfield, Hart, Diamond, Severin, Jamie Smith (Mair 46), Nicholson, Mackie (Lovell 71), Clark, Foster, Young, Considine.
Subs Not Used: Kelly, Touzani, Miller, Maguire, De Visscher.
Attendance: 26,275
Referee: Olivier Thual (France).
This article originally appeared on the Evening Express website. For more information, read about our new combined website.