Aberdeen midfielder Jamie McGrath knows a win in Thursday night’s home Europa Conference League clash with PAOK would put the Dons “right back in the mix” in Group G.
The Reds host the group frontrunners at Pittodrie later this week in the third round of pool matches.
Greek side PAOK arrive with two victories and six points already on the board in Group G, while Barry Robson’s Dons have claimed just one point in losing 2-1 away at Eintracht Frankfurt and then drawing 1-1 at home with HJK Helsinki.
With return trips to Greece and Finland to come in November for the Reds, before a group-closing clash with Bundesliga outfit Frankfurt in the Granite City in mid-December, McGrath thinks PAOK’s visit represents Aberdeen’s “best chance of getting the win we want” across those four remaining Conference League group matches.
McGrath said: “There’s only three games left after this one, so there are only 12 more points up for grabs, and we want three points on the board on Thursday.
“Obviously being at home that’s probably the best chance of getting the win that we want.
“We know we’ll have great backing from the fans at Pittodrie on the night and that will be a big factor for us.
“I think if we play to the best of our abilities then we will give ourselves a really good chance of doing that.”
Three points v PAOK would be ‘massive’ as Dons’ McGrath looks to learn lessons from Hearts’ defeat to Greeks
If Aberdeen can overcome a PAOK side who are Greek Super League hopefuls, and who will bring a visiting support of more than 1,100 fans to Pittodrie, McGrath believes it would ignite the Dons’ hopes of progress to the Conference League’s knockout stages.
He said: “We know where we are in the group.
“After a good performance in Frankfurt – even though we got nothing from that – ideally we would have liked to win the home game against HJK.
“But it didn’t turn out that way against a good side.
“There’s no easy games in the group as it’s European football and each team have their own strengths and weaknesses.
“It would be massive if we could get three points. That would put us right back in the mix heading into the return in Greece and the rest of the group games.
“There are a lot of big nights to look forward to and it would be nice to go forward with more points on the board.
“PAOK have started the group really well and obviously they beat Hearts in qualifying and we can learn from that – maybe where Hearts went wrong and PAOK went right. So at least we have that bit of comparison to look at and get ready.”
Irishman McGrath, 27, was away with his country during the international break, earning his 10th cap (and laying on two assists) in a Euro qualifying victory over Gibraltar.
He would have likely returned to Dons action at Pittodrie on Saturday – had the scheduled Premiership evening game with Dundee not been postponed due to Storm Babet.
‘Energy from the crowd’ gives Reds ‘that extra few percent’
Thursday, however, will be another chance for McGrath to play in front of the Red Army under the Pittodrie lights.
It is an atmosphere he has relished since joining in the summer, after playing in both the HJK draw and the Europa League play-off home second leg against Swedish champions Hacken.
McGrath, who insists the Euro nights are occasions he will “remember” once his career is over, said: “Both unbelievable occasions, packed out both times – and unfortunately we lost the first goal in both games.
“But I remember, as soon as we scored, the whole place absolutely erupted and kicked us on.
“And I thought we were going to push on, especially against Hacken (1-3 defeat, 3-5 aggregate loss).
“I thought we were going to turn the tie around and, on another night, we score those chances.
“That stems off the energy from the crowd – it really gives you that extra few percent to get you going.
“And you feel it in the warm-up.
“There’s no better feeling in the warm-up than when you feel that buzz in the stands and in the ground.
“Like I said, it really does affect you on the pitch.”
McGrath thinks the presence of the PAOK fans will bring an added dimension to the Pittodrie cauldron this Thursday, adding: “I was in the Ireland squad when we played Greece in the summer, so I know how manic the fans can be out there.”
Conversation