Aberdeen return to Premiership action on Saturday when they host Dundee at Pittodrie.
It is another Dons sell-out for what is another evening game – the 5.30pm kick-off against the Dees coming after back-to-back home evening league clashes v Dundee United (1-0 Aberdeen) and Rangers (2-1).
Jimmy Thelin’s Reds remain undefeated in the Premiership, and level on points with leaders Celtic, having recorded nine wins and just one draw (2-2 with the champions at Parkhead) from 10 league outings under their new Swedish manager.
However, last Saturday saw Aberdeen taste defeat under Thelin for the first time, and it was brutal loss – 6-0 in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final loss to Brendan Rodgers’ Celts at Hampden.
Can Jimmy Thelin’s Aberdeen move on like Celtic thrashing didn’t happen?
The overriding question into the Dundee clash is how Aberdeen, whose start to the season under Thelin had been near-flawless until the Hoops hammering, will respond to their first setback.
Most pundits, including our columnist, former Dons striker Duncan Shearer, seem to think the best approach is to pretend the National Stadium thrashing didn’t happen.
There are sensible reasons for this: Aberdeen went into the clash with the same drained starting XI from a thrilling midweek victory over fierce rivals Rangers, while Celtic made six changes for the League Cup game. The players the Hoops – with their far superior resources – sent out against the Dons all performed at a high level to make their energy advantage count.
Rodgers’ side were not only in full flow, they were ruthless with the chances they had – and also also got the break of the ball at key moments.
Aberdeen weren’t quite able to press with the usual intensity which has been a hallmark under Thelin, while, on the ball, their fast, accurate attacking combinations – which saw them take the game to Celtic in the sides’ earlier Premiership draw – didn’t function as well.
But it’s obvious boss Thelin, having arrived from Elfsborg with his 4-2-3-1 and a clear tactical identity, which has in turn seen Aberdeen beat 15 of the 16 teams they have played this term, is unlikely to change the approach after one bad day at the office.
Rematch with Dundee
Dundee are a side Aberdeen have already defeated this season – winning 2-1 at Dens Park on September 28.
It was a game where counter-attacking goals from Kevin Nisbet and Topi Keskinen had the Dons 2-0 up after just over half-an-hour.
However, having conceded before half-time through Simon Murray’s penalty, the Reds were under the cosh in the latter part of the game, but showed the resilience – which has also been a trait of Thelin’s team so far – to claim all three points.
Afterwards, disgruntled Dees boss (and former Aberdeen assistant) Tony Docherty said: “It’s not very often both managers say the better team lost. Fair play to Jimmy, he said after the game that we deserved more.
“They had two shots on target, we had six. Sometimes you don’t get your rewards in a game. I’m gutted we didn’t win a game we deserved to win.”
Following their loss to Aberdeen, sixth-placed Dundee have since been beaten by Celtic, St Johnstone and Kilmarnock (twice), with their only victory coming away at Motherwell.
Thelin’s Aberdeen – who are now in pole position for a top-two finish this term after a superb Premiership run in October – should be looking to win comprehensively in this rematch with Docherty’s men.
Will Kevin Nisbet be back in Dons ranks?
Dens scorer Nisbet, 27, was brought in on loan from English Championship Millwall before the transfer window shut and installed as Aberdeen’s first-choice striker.
But he has not featured in the squad for the last three matches due to a calf complaint – the last sight of Nisbet coming when he went off at half-time in the 2-2 draw with Celtic at Parkhead.
Ester Sokler – who replaced him (and scored the goal to spark Aberdeen’s comeback from 2-0 down) at Celtic Park – has been leading the line since.
However, Nisbet, who has three goals in seven starts for the Dons, is a valuable, different, attacking option – more of a penalty box striker – in a Reds attacking contingent already shorn of Premiership top-scorer Pape Habib Gueye due to his serious thigh injury and subsequent surgery.
Aberdeen boss Thelin’s pre-match press conferences for both the Rangers Pittodrie and Celtic League Cup matches gave the impression Nisbet may at least be back in the squad… but he wasn’t.
Will the extra recovery time enable him to feature, even start, against Dundee?
Enter our new Dons Score Predictor League!
We have launched our new Dons Score Predictor League, where readers can win £100 for guessing the correct scoreline for each of Aberdeen’s Premiership matches in the 2024/25 season.
As well as a correct result for each league fixture seeing contestants entered into a £100 cash draw, a right answer will also earn them 1 point in our Dons Score Predictor League table – with the highest points scorer over the campaign winning a whopping £1,903.
The Dons Score Predictor League is open to Evening Express print readers and our online subscribers.
To ensure you’re a paying reader, you need to know the upcoming game password to fill in the entry form – which will be included in this pre-game talking points piece for each Premiership match.
The password for the Aberdeen v Dundee game on Saturday is “Morris”.
You can find the form to enter your score prediction here (the deadline for match-day 11 entries noon on Saturday):
Conversation