Boss Jimmy Thelin will demand Aberdeen face Celtic with the burning belief they can end a 28-game winless drought against the Premiership leaders.
That will be Thelin’s message to the Dons as they travel to Parkhead bidding to secure a first win against Celtic since May 2018.
Celtic will bid to make history when they face the Reds, as the defending Premiership champions have won their last nine home league games by an aggregate score of 32-0 Never before in Celtic’s history have they won 10 league matches in a row at home without conceding.
Aberdeen are the only team to have avoided defeat in the Premiership at Parkhead this season, drawing 2-2 in October.
Thelin outlines plan for Parkhead
Thelin will bid to maintain the Dons’ winning momentum after securing victories in the last three games in all competitions.
He said: “You should always go into a game with belief and that is the message I will give the players.
“We have to do our best to compete for our supporters, and also ourselves.
“If you want to grow yourself, you have to play against the team who have been so successful in this league for so many years.
“We want to be better ourselves, so we need to take the challenge and then give everything in this game to grow.”
In the 13 Premiership games at Parkhead so far this term, Celtic have scored 43 times.
They have conceded only twice – both goals coming in the draw with Aberdeen.
Dons boss on Mitov’s vital return to action
Aberdeen keeper Dimitar Mitov returned to the Aberdeen starting line-up for the 1-0 win against Kilmarnock at the weekend.
Mitov was named on the bench for the recent 2-1 win at Dundee after a spell out injured.
Bulgaria international Mitov delivered a clean sheet on his return to action and is set to be tasked with keeping out the Celtic goal machine.
Thelin said: “Dimi has leadership and he has a presence inside the box, especially in these games with a lot of set-plays.
“He did really well in the last game.
“We have to manage the whole squad we have now in a good way because of the injuries.
“So, let’s see which players are ready for Tuesday.”
Thelin addresses semi-final defeat
Aberdeen’s last match against Celtic in Glasgow was a chastening 6-0 humiliation in the League Cup semi-final at Hampden on November 2.
The Reds had gone into that match in buoyant form following a 16-game unbeaten start to the season in all competitions.
Losing heavily to Celtic at the national stadium could be interpreted as the catalyst for a collapse in form which hit 14 games without a win in the Premiership.
Thelin insists that semi-final loss did not derail the Dons’ season – and is confident it will have no influence on Tuesday’s Parkhead clash.
He said: “I don’t think we lost any confidence from that semi-final.
“It was a tough week as we played Rangers first (2-1 win, October 30) and then there was the game against Celtic.
“That’s football sometimes and when something goes wrong in a game it can just accelerate.
“After that semi-final we won the next game (4-1 win against Dundee).
“Then the losses came after that and there can be a lot of analysis about that.
“However, it’s small, small situations in a squad and different things happen when you are in a period without results.
“It’s another game against Celtic this time, it’s new players and another part of the season.
“So you have to move forward.”
Aberdeen face a Celtic team who have failed to win in their last two games.
Celtic drew 1-1 with Bayern Munich in Germany to crash out of the Champions League last week.
They then lost 2-1 to Hibs at Easter Road in the Premiership on Saturday.
But Thelin believes Celtic have a clear identity with their speed of play.
And that is what he aims to bring to Aberdeen.
Thelin’s plan for Aberdeen identity
He said: “They are clear in their identity and game model which they do so well.
“So when they have the rhythm everybody knows what they’re going to do – but it’s still difficult.
“That’s when you go on your journey as a team – when you can do what everybody knows, but still you’re successful with it.
“That’s what we ourselves want to achieve: that we’re consistent and clear and precise in speed and tempo.”
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