HOW you weigh up Aberdeen’s chances of making it to the play-off round of the Europa League at the fourth time of asking very much depends on each individual’s particular outlook on life.
Those in the Red Army of a positive disposition will take heart from the fact that, unlike the previous three years when the team tumbled out of the Europa League at this third qualifying round, they have finally chalked up a victory in the first leg. For once they head into the return game not needing to chase a result.
Those who prefer to view their schooner as half-empty rather than full will focus more on the away goal chalked up by Apollon Limassol at Pittodrie on Thursday night that undoubtedly altered the shape of the tie. Limassol need to score in their home match in Larnaca this week but, should they do so, then Aberdeen would also need to find the net to avoid going out on the away goals rule. So many reasons to be either cheerful or plagued by recurring nightmares.
There will be plenty factors to contend with in the return game on Thursday night; a searing heat expected to top 30C, a boisterous home crowd, and, most importantly, the threat of an Apollon side that scored once at Pittodrie and had chances to add more.
Posing a recurring threat on the counter attack, it remains to be seen whether they can be quite as potent when the match circumstances require them to be the dominant side in the match.
Football people, of course, tend to be forever cheerily optimistic – in public at least – so it perhaps came as no surprise when Graeme Shinnie, Aberdeen captain and plunderer of the stunning late strike that earned his team a 2-1 win, laid bare his feelings that making it through the tie was not beyond them.
“We have seen them at home now,” he said. “They know what we are all about and we know what they are all about now. It will be tough because it is never easy in Europe. Going over with a lead is brilliant and we know we will create chances.
“We showed that on Thursday and now it is about going with a game plan. If we play liked we did in the last round [against Sikor Brijag in Bosnia and Herzegovina] then we will have a great opportunity.
“We will need to be solid and to defend our lead but we have the quality to cause them problems and to score. Every game we are getting to know each other and our match sharpness. We are gelling together well. Some of the football has been brilliant and these games are brilliant for our fitness and getting us ready for the new season.”
Aberdeen may come to curse the fact they are not taking a bigger advantage to Cyprus. They scored early on in the first leg through Ryan Christie and hemmed Apollon in for long spells of the first half, a spell manager Derek McInnes would later describe as “excellent”. A second goal during that period of dominance may have broken Apollon’s resistance but it wouldn’t come.
“The team started well and on the front foot,” recalled Shinnie. “We tried to put as much pressure on as we could to let them know what they were in for the whole night. I think we did that, right from the off. It is the way we like to play, to impose ourselves on the game and you know it is not always going to be one way.
“We got the goal which settled us nicely and I think we played some good stuff in the first half. We pressed and passed it well to create opportunities. The second half we came out a bit slower and they changed it about a bit more and were causing us a few problems.
“We were disappointed to lose a goal but we showed good character to keep going and to get the goal in the end. We now have a lead to take over there.”
Aberdeen’s case was undoubtedly helped by the rash sending off of Esteban Sachettti for thumping Christie. That gave the home side more space to exploit and Shinnie memorably did so.
“When the guy got sent off it changed the game completely,” he added. “We went on the front foot and it was about trying to keep the boys calm and not to go gung-ho. Patience was key as we didn’t want to lose another goal.
“I got the ball and I just had it in my head to have a shot. I hit in nicely and to be fair when it left my foot I knew it had a good chance. I was delighted when it went in. It is one of the best moments I have had in front of packed out Pittodrie. It was brilliant with the noise and them singing my name. That is what it is all about. I am hoping there are many more moments like that.”
The optimists among the Aberdeen support expect as much, too.
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