THERE is a gulf between Aberdeen and Celtic just as there was between Celtic and Barcelona in the Champions League in midweek but that doesn’t mean Aberdeen can’t go on to win Sunday’s League Cup final. To have any chance of lifting the trophy, however, then they have to be meticulously prepared and also truly imbued with the belief that they have what to takes to come away with a victory.

Speaking before the Barcelona game, Brendan Rodgers outlined what his team had to do if they were to get a result. “You need a bit of luck along the way,” he said. “You need to play at the top of your game, you need your goalkeeper to play well as you know he’ll have to make saves, and you need to take whatever opportunities come your way”. When I read that I thought that’s exactly what Aberdeen need to do in this game.

Read more: Exclusive: When Celtic chief Peter Lawwell "talks, you listen" says Barcelona president

They are the second-best team in the country but it would still count as an upset were they to deny Rodgers and his players the first part of the treble they would love to get their hands on. But Derek McInnes will have done his homework. In fact, he and his backroom team will probably have spent every day this week poring over Celtic, looking for parts of their game they can maybe exploit. Every Aberdeen player should step off the bus at Hampden feeling they could not be better prepared. They should also genuinely believe from the bottom of their hearts that they can win the game. They can’t have any doubts whatsoever.

That was how I felt with St Mirren when we won the trophy in 2013. We were underdogs both in the semi-final against Celtic and again when we played Hearts in the final but Danny Lennon and his team left nothing to chance. We spent a few days in St Andrews in the build-up to the final and Austin MacPhee, now with the Northern Ireland squad and in the frame for the SFA’s Performance Director, gave each player their own customised footage to study.

Read more: Exclusive: When Celtic chief Peter Lawwell "talks, you listen" says Barcelona president

I got DVDs of the Hearts back four featuring their last five games leading up to the cup final, with the goals they had conceded and footage of just about every time they touched the ball. We also got a booklet with profiles of every Hearts player, their strengths and weaknesses and other useful information. We couldn’t have prepared any better.

Aberdeen will have done the same. They will have been fastidious in their homework. I suspect Derek will have looked at the left side of Celtic’s defence and targeted Emilio Izaguirre as a possible weak link. As much as I think he’s a decent player, I think Aberdeen could get some joy down that side through the likes of Jonny Hayes or Niall McGinn with their pace and trickery.

The other avenue of attack will be to commit quickly on the counter. Should Celtic overcommit men to an attack and Aberdeen can turn over possession, then they have to make those transitions work for them. Aberdeen have got the armoury to counter attack really well. They’ll look to move it quickly to people with pace like Hayes, McGinn and Kenny McLean and get support up to them as fast as they can. When chances fall to Adam Rooney – and in every game you get at least one or two – he will have to be clinical. So they have to try to soak up Celtic pressure and then break quickly and effectively.

I think Aberdeen will need to score first if they are to have a chance of winning. Should they get that lead then it gives them something to try to defend. If Celtic score first forcing Aberdeen into a more offensive strategy then that will almost certainly leave them vulnerable to Celtic picking them off.

Read more: Exclusive: When Celtic chief Peter Lawwell "talks, you listen" says Barcelona president

Aberdeen, then, need their big players to play to their full ability. To me that means goalkeeper Joe Lewis who was unbelievable in their last game against Celtic. He will need to be inspired again. Rooney will need to be clinical in front, while Hayes will need to offer drive and energy.

They will also need a big performance in central midfield from either Ryan Jack or Graeme Shinnie to combat Scott Brown who I thought was exceptional against Barcelona. His energy levels were good, his passing was terrific and he drove the team on with the sort of leadership skills we’ve come to expect from him. So Aberdeen need someone in the middle of the park to compete with Brown and try to grab the game by the scruff of the neck.

This final is between the two best teams in Scotland just now and I’m really looking forward to it. It reminds me of the cup finals you used to watch as a young boy when they always seemed to be great matches. Hopefully Sunday’s game lives up to those memories.