Aberdeen defender Gavin Molloy has warned Rangers will enter “fortress” Pittodrie when the rivals clash on Wednesday.
The Reds’ sensational unbeaten start to the season under boss Jimmy Thelin extended to 15 games in all competitions with a New Firm derby win.
A 1-0 victory against Dundee United increased Aberdeen’s winning streak at Pittodrie to nine games this season, the best run of home form since 2017.
Under Swede Thelin the Dons have taken 25 points from a possible 27 in the Premiership.
Pittodrie has been sold out for back-to-back home wins against Dundee United and Hearts.
The stadium is heading for a third successive sell-out for the visit of Rangers as Thelin fever grips the Red Army.
Molloy, 23, said: “People are seeing we are winning week-in, week-out so why wouldn’t we build a fortress here.
“We make it very hard for any team to come here and get results.
“We are really building something here at Pittodrie.
“Recent history means there’s been a bit of a bite to it (Rangers game).
“But we are just going to go in to it and try to beat them like any other team.
“Why can’t we put it up to anyone on our day?
“If we believe in ourselves like we have been, we can get a result against anyone.
“We are full of belief right now and we see ourselves as one of the big teams.
“It’s about hard work and belief that you can beat anyone.
“There’s no reason to show up to a game and not think you are going to win.”
Molloy not looking at Premiership table…yet
Aberdeen are riding high in the Premiership after a phenomenal start to the league campaign.
Boss Thelin has consistently played down any talk of a title push and insists the Reds are taking it one game at a time.
That outlook is being embraced by his in-form Reds.
When asked about topping the table, Molloy said: “I don’t look at it after nine games.
“There’s still a long way to go so there’s no reason to be caught up in the league title.”
‘There wasn’t any point where we were settling for a draw’
Aberdeen left it late in the New Firm derby when supersub Peter Ambrose fired home a dramatic winner in the 84th minute.
Striker Ambrose had only been on the pitch for two minutes when netting.
Centre-back Molloy insists he was always confident Aberdeen would engineer a winner if they remained calm and stuck to Thelin’s game-plan.
He said: “We’re finding ways to win although we weren’t at our best against Dundee United.
“We still kept moving the ball, trying to get a bit of space and I always felt we would score.
“There wasn’t any point where we were settling for a draw and I said to myself ‘we’re going to find a way’.
“That’s what we’ve been doing all season so far.
“We’re a confident bunch but then why wouldn’t you be when you’re on a run like we are.
“There’s no doubt the comeback against Celtic last week was massive for the belief in the squad.
“We know that on our day we can beat anyone but we proved what we can do last week.
“That result and the way we got it was huge for the confidence of everyone.”
Thelin’s half-time message revealed
Aberdeen’s attacking edge was absent in a first-half where they managed just one shot, off target.
Thelin shook it up at the break by introducing winger Shayden Morris who came on for Topi Keskinen and had a major impact.
What did Thelin say at half-time?
Molloy said: “Just keep plugging away because we can break down teams if we move the ball fast.
“Keep making runs and angles for everyone so it wasn’t a big team talk, it was more about a change in attitude.”
Molloy’s role in winning goal
Molloy played a key role in the winning goal against Dundee United when delivering a cross deep into the box from the left.
That cross was fired back along the face of goal by Nicky Devlin to Ambrose who converted from five yards.
Molloy said: “When they sat back like they did, there are spaces in the wide areas on the sides.
“So I just stepped in there, put in a cross and luckily it was a good one.”
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