Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has warned his players to underestimate their Europa League opponents Daugava Riga at their peril.
The Dons were handed a relatively straightforward first qualifying round task against the Latvian club in yesterday’s draw. While pleased with the tie, the Dons manager is concerned Daugava are midway through their domestic campaign.
He said: “In terms of the actual game we are going up against a level of opposition that deserves respect. They are seventh in the league after finishing fourth last year and they are well into their season. They have played 17 games this year and that is the biggest difficulty we face. But it is a decent draw for us and one we look forward to.”
The task of finding out as much as possible about the club which was formed in 2003 is firmly under way and, with the Dons hoping to play the first leg at home, McInnes is eager to make the most of the game at Pittodrie on July 3.
He said: “Our pitch will be in good condition and we’ve looked at their pitch. They have the choice of playing on astroturf and on grass and, thankfully, we have a lot of their games on our system. We will also get out to watch them before we play them.
“We have started our work now on Riga and we will familiarise ourselves with the players and their system of play. They are playing on Wednesday and Sunday so someone from the club will get out to have them watched.”
Victory across the two legs will take the Dons on to a second qualifying round meeting with Dutch side Groningen and, while McInnes is reluctant to look beyond the Latvians, he is hopeful of enjoying an extended run in the competition.
He said: “Groningen play in a strong league but I don’t want to comment too much on them as we have work to do. If we can get through it will be another tough tie, although it’s one I would hope we are capable of going through. We have said it has been long enough without European football for this club and we want to repay the supporters for their backing by getting a few trips for them.”
European focus, Pages 58, 59