Away Goal Crucial for Aberdeen

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The European club football season has started, as clubs from the lower ranked leagues around Europe aim to qualify for the first-round proper of the UEFA Champions League and Europa League.

The Europa League group stages may be a hindrance to some clubs such as Arsenal, who will only go all out to win the trophy if they reach the latter stages.  For teams like Siroki Brijeg of Bosnia and Aberdeen of Scotland, to get in the group stages would be a great achievement.

With the first leg of this Europa League second qualifying round match ending 1-1 in Scotland, Aberdeen travel to Bosnia for the second leg, knowing they need to score at least one goal to have any chance of progressing.

Aberdeen started this match as strong favourites to qualify for the next round but having taken a 1-0 lead at Pittodrie in the first half through Ryan Christie, Stipo Markovic equalised for Siroki Brijeg midway through the second half.

Despite losing two of their last three Bosnia Premier League games last season, Siroki Brijeg boast a strong record at the Stadion Pecara.  Trends show Siroki Brijeg have lost only three of their last thirty home competitive games.  One of those defeats was a 1-0 loss to Sarajevo in the cup and Siroki Brijeg still went on to win it on penalties.

Recent matches have seen Siroki Brijeg struggle to score goals at home and they have found the back of the net just twice in their last five home matches.  This will be a slight concern because looking further back into last season shows a team who scored plenty of goals at home.

Siroki Brijeg have won four of their previous fifteen home Europa League games.

Aberdeen travel to Bosnia knowing they need to score at least one goal to remain in the tie.  Trends show they have lost four of their last fifteen competitive games and domestically, the Dons enjoyed a good run of away form towards the end of last season.

Aberdeen won their final six away matches of the season and trends show they scored 22 goals in those six games, at an average of 3.66 goals per game.  They need to score just one in this match to give themselves a chance of qualifying.

However, looking back over their recent history in the Europa League and Aberdeen have lost nine of their previous seventeen away games.

Siroki Brijeg will be without Ivan Baraban for this match who is injured but should otherwise be at full strength.  Expect them to come out with a similar starting XI to the first leg of the tie.

Aberdeen will be missing forward Jayden Stockley who is suspended for this game but Derek McInnes will select his strongest XI in the hope of getting the job done.

Aberdeen need to get a goal in this match but do not expect them to come out all guns blazing.  Five of Aberdeen’s last six European matches have seen under 2.5 goals and the same could happen here. Extra-time and even penalties is a distinct possibility in this match.