Too many draws killed off Dundee’s top six aspirations last season and Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has told his players they cannot allow a similar scenario prevent them from reaching their own objectives this season.
No team drew more games in the Scottish Premiership last term than Paul Hartley’s Dundee with 15 of their 38 fixtures ending in a stalemate.
The Dons and Dundee are the only teams in the top flight to have drawn three of their opening five games this season and, given recent form, Dons manager McInnes believes Sunday’s meeting is likely to be another tight contest.
He said: “Dundee draw a lot of games. They had the most in the league last season and I think that stopped them being a top-six team.
“They were very close to reaching the top six side last year.
“With the nature of the way Dundee play, we have had a lot of tight games with them over the years.
“There is not a lot between the teams, so it is about finding that winning formula which is what we are trying to do.
“Whenever I watch Dundee, they always seem to be doing well in games.
“In this league there are fine margins between winning, drawing and losing matches.
“We expect a tough match at Dens Park but it is one we are looking forward to nonetheless.”
Sunday’s match is the start of a busy week for the Dons, with a Betfred Cup quarter-final against St Johnstone on Thursday followed by the visit of Rangers three days later.
He added: “We are eager to show our full potential. There is nowhere better to do that than these three games coming up.
“We have had one defeat in six games and that came against Celtic, who are beating everybody in the league at the minute.
“We have had only two wins in those six games and we know the importance of picking up three points rather than one.
“Sometimes that ability to turn draws into wins can define how successful you are going to be.
“We have got to make sure we don’t get too despondent about the fact that we have dropped some points.
“It is important we keep working hard for that improvement.”
The Dons welcome back Mark Reynolds from suspension, while Peter Pawlett is pushing for a start on his return from a groin injury after netting a double for the under-20s in a 4-1 at Falkirk on Tuesday.