Lisbon is a huge carrot but all Dons eyes will be on Norwegians first
Ash Taylor admits there are two ways of looking at the potential reward up for grabs in Aberdeen’s Europa League Second Qualifying Round tie on Thursday.
The Dons travel to Norway to take on Viking Stavanger, with the winners advancing to a plum tie against Sporting Lisbon.
Portugal’s third-most successful side have a lot in common with the Scots.
They’ve never been relegated from their top flight, and are former winners of the European CupWinners’ Cup, having lifted the trophy 19 years before the Dons’ triumph against Real Madrid in 1983.
Getting the chance to play in
Lisbon on September 24 is an exciting prospect for Taylor and his team-mates.
But the 30-year-old defender admits it will also be something that will provide Viking with a massive amount of motivation.
Taylor said: “The prospect of playing Sporting Lisbon in the next round is a mouthwatering prospect and a huge motivator – but it will be the same for them.
“It’s something to look forward to if we can get through.
“You want to pit yourself against the European big boys, and
Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes
Sporting are certainly one of them with their history.
“First and foremost, though, we need to do our job, and win this tie.
“As players, you have just got to look at the next game and focus on that.
“If you take your eye off it, that’s where you can get caught out.
“Viking Stavanger are a very good side, so we’re stepping up from the last round.” Taylor says Derek McInnes’ side – who knocked out Faroese part-timers, NSI Runavik, in the previous round – have no fears about facing the Norwegians on an artificial pitch in the one-off tie.
He went on:
“We come up against teams with an artificial pitch here, so it’s nothing that we won’t be used to.
“I am sure we will do our work on the artificial pitch we have at the training ground, and that will help.
“There will be slight advantages for them being at home in their environment with no spectators.
“The Aberdeen fans normally like to travel, especially for European games.
“It’s a bit of a toss-of-a-coin over who are favourites because you can never call these European ties.
“The backing our supporters have given the club in these tough times is fantastic.
“So it would be pleasing if we could go that one step further and get to the group stages.
“By then, hopefully, we can have fans attending games, and it would be fantastic for the whole club.”
Scottish clubs are often caught out by being ring-rusty when European qualifiers come early in their season.
Although Viking will have played 17 league games and Aberdeen just five when they meet, Taylor says they can’t claim a lack of match practice.
The Norwegians have been in poor form and are sitting in the bottom half of the table right now.
Taylor said: “It has helped playing the ties a little bit later.
“We’ve got a few games under our belt now, where it used to just be the pre-season games.
“You were in a European tie straightaway and a bit undercooked.
“But I am sure the lads are well prepared for it now.”