Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes says the Dons are treating tonight’s showdown with Apollon Limassol like a cup semi-final knowing a victory would take them tantalisingly close to the Europa League group stages.
The Dons hold a slender 2-1 advantage for tonight’s second leg thanks to Graeme Shinnie’s stunning winner at Pittodrie last Thursday but a difficult match is anticipated in the energy-sapping Cypriot sun with the temperature expected to be around 30C at kick-off.
McInnes’ side has exited the competition at the third qualifying round three years on the trot against Maribor, Kairat Almaty and Real Socieded but the Dons hope to make it fourth time lucky this evening.
If they were to progress, the Dons would be through to the play-off round and only 180 minutes away from a place in the lucrative Europa League group stages.
Speaking at the AEK Arena in Larnaca last night, the Aberdeen manager said: “We view this like a semi-final and we want to get to the final to give ourselves a chance of taking part in the play-off round.
“We are very comfortable playing away from home and have had some of our best results playing away in the Europa League against Groningen, Rijeka and against Siroki Brijeg in Bosnia just last week.
“Obviously the conditions will be a factor but we have proved we can deal with that and hopefully will again.
“I don’t want us to be an unlucky story. We missed a penalty early in the first half in Maribor which was the defining moment last season. Then we got Jayden Stockley sent off which for me was very harsh.
“Our performances were very good but it counts for nothing in domestic cups or European football if you are knocked out.
“We just want to find a way to stay in the tournament and hopefully we can do that in what will be a tough match against a good team.
“That’s something we have to deal with but we will be confident that we can qualify by showing that we are better.”
Aberdeen forward Adam Rooney did not travel to Cyprus due to a thigh injury so the Dons will look to either Jayden Stockley or Nicky Maynard to lead the line against Apollon Limassol, both of whom are yet to get off the mark this season.
But McInnes remains optimistic the Dons can get the job done without Rooney, Aberdeen’s top scorer for the last three seasons.
He said: “Ideally we’d have liked Adam with us but you have to deal with losing players to injury.
“We’ve shown we can cope without key players but he’s our top scorer for the last few seasons so of course we’d rather have had him with us but it was just too much of a risk given the nature of his injury.
“He has a chance of playing on Sunday against Hamilton and we have other options.”