Pressure is on Celtic against Europe's invincibles - but tactics could make this get ugly
Aberdeen facing stick or twist dilemma at Celtic Park
October 19 has long been a date ringed in the calendar for those following Aberdeen's metronomic start to the season.
Queen of the South. East Kilbride. Airdrieonians. Dumbarton. St Johnstone. St Mirren. Queen's Park. Kilmarnock. Ross County. Motherwell. Spartans. Dundee. Heart of Midlothian. All vanquished.
Celtic? We'll find out just after 5pm on Saturday.
Jimmy Thelin's red-hot Aberdeen are the only invincible top-flight team in Europe. No unlucky 13, just a perfect set of matches. Yet they are not top of the Premiership. That honour belongs to this weekend's opponents Celtic by virtue of goal difference.
Aberdeen travel down the A90 to a Celtic Park venue that has been the scene of many a flogging. Less than a year ago, they were battered 6-0 under Barry Robson. A 9-0 reversal under Mark McGhee still haunts the dreams of die-hard Dandies. In the past 20 visits, the Dons have only won once at Parkhead, when Andy Considine netted in a 1-0 win back in 2018. A goalless draw not long after punctuates 18 defeats.
Thelin would bite your hand off for a goalless draw this time. Although it's hard to imagine the Swede bearing his teeth. The softly-spoken Scandinavian has been an image of serenity amid the storm Aberdeen are wreaking on Scottish football. "Stay humble" is his slogan as the victories clock up.
He is keeping the Red Army's feet on the ground. Because of him, they march to Glasgow with belief. Thelin has rejuvenated a club not long ago on its backside, one that flirted dangerously with the relegation zone last season, picked the wrong bedfellow in Neil Warnock and required a free-scoring North Macedonian to fire them out of trouble under caretaker Peter Leven.
Bojan Miovski has since been sold for £7million to Girona but Leven is still at Pittodrie, a vital part of Thelin's coaching staff. His impact on the training ground is vital. Aberdeen have recruited well - take your pick from Dimitar Mitov, Gavin Molloy, Sivert Heltne Nilsen and Topi Keskinen - but it is the tune currently coming from inherited players such as Nicky Devlin, Jack MacKenzie and Graeme Shinnie that also has Aberdeen's fans merrily dancing. The renaissance of striker Pape Habib Gueye has been nastily stopped by injury. His awkward game-style would be a problem for Celtic's defence.
Detractors, green-eyed monsters and negative Normans will counter a lot of the above with the simple statements "Aberdeen have not been properly challenged" or "they have played teams just after they've been in Europe". These are disrespectful notions. But make no mistake, they are up against it in Glasgow. We will learn so much about them.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is well-versed in tussles with Aberdeen from his previous spell in charge, but Thelin is not a familiar foe. There is no doubt the Northern Irishman will afford the Dons maximum respect. He knows a win has the potential to deflate them, like a big bully popping an excited child's balloon.
Most onlookers expect that to happen. Celtic have been seriously impressive this season domestically, particularly at Parkhead. They are laced with attacking threats. Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda offer pace and goals, while Kyogo Furuhashi is working his way back to peak form. Captain Callum McGregor has been many onlookers' best player this season, and is benefitting from being rested from Scotland duty. They will come at Aberdeen right from the off.
Those who have watched Aberdeen first-hand will tell you that they are aggressive, proactive and quick. Thelin's team presses high and tries to win the ball back in the opponents' half. Then they spring forward and flood the final third. They have pace themselves out wide and a natural finisher in Kevin Nisbet. When it has all clicked against 13 other teams, there has been meek resistance.
The danger for Aberdeen at Parkhead is that such a tactic leaves them horribly exposed. They have only kept two clean sheets in the seven league wins so far. Opponents get chances because of the space in behind the midfield, with the full-backs always keen to push forward. In many ways, Thelin is facing a dilemma his Celtic counterpart has to weigh up on the European stage: alter your outlook for a superior opponent, or trust in what you've been doing.
We don't know enough yet about Thelin to make a call either way. What is for sure, though, is that win, lose or draw, he will keep calm and carry on. Maybe he should wear one of those T-shirts. They look good in red. All the expectation - and indeed pressure - is on Celtic to keep their winning run going against the only team able to keep up with their relentless pace so far.
This game is not on TV, but all eyes are on it.
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