Aberdeen – Strasbourg

The masters of the field will experience the bitterness of defeat following the match against the French.

Given the fact that in Scottish football there are two dominating forces in the form of Celtic and Rangers, few of the 'secondary' teams in this country have managed to make any impact in European competitions. Aberdeen finished fifth in the last national championship, trailing the champion by 39 points. The team ended the season with a negative goal difference but earned the right to compete in the Europa League qualification. Fortunately, the start was the playoff qualification, so the defeat to FCSB led to elimination in the general stage of the Conference League. Until October, Aberdeen was hardly resembling a professional team, losing almost all official matches. The situation improved somewhat in the last couple of months, but the Aberdeen players have not yet learned to punch above their weight. Strasbourg qualified for European competitions for the second time in the last twenty years. Six years ago, the French team failed to get through the Europa League qualification, losing in the playoff stage. Back then, the Conference League did not exist, which would have allowed participation from such an exit. This time, Strasbourg passed the qualification and demonstrates clear ambitions here. Bookmakers have deemed the guests the favorites of the upcoming match, offering odds of 1.67 on their victory. Aberdeen will enter the European match on an unbeaten run of eight games. However, during this period, the team has not faced either Celtic or Rangers or any serious opponents in the European arena. On the contrary, a painful draw in Cyprus against AEK Larnaca without a single shot from the Scots on target (0:0) and a equal match at home against Armenian Noah (1:1) testify to Aberdeen's very limited level of play. Strasbourg is currently experiencing the toughest period of the season, but this has not yet affected the Conference League. In the national championship, the club lost three times in a row, but in the last round of the continental tournament managed to defeat Crystal Palace at home. The victory over the London opponent secured the French team in second place in the overall stage of the ranking table, consisting of 36 participants. The much higher class of the guests will help them win.