Jimmy Thelin faces a critical challenge as his "Aberdeen" side travels to Romania for the second leg of their Europa League qualification tie against "Steaua Bucharest". The match, scheduled for Thursday at the National Arena in Bucharest, follows a 2-2 draw in Scotland that leaves everything to play for in this fourth qualifying round fixture.
"We showed character coming back from two goals down in the first leg, but we understand the challenge waiting for us in Bucharest," the Swedish coach might say ahead of this crucial encounter.
Steaua Bucharest, also known as FCSB, enters the match as clear favorites according to bookmakers, who offer odds of 1.59 for a home win and 1.24 for qualification to the main tournament. The Romanian champions have struggled domestically, however, sitting 12th in their league with just one win from six matches – a disappointing start for the defending title-holders.
Interestingly, Steaua's European campaign began in Champions League qualification before an unexpected elimination by North Macedonia's Shkendija sent them to the Europa League path. Since that defeat, the team coached by Elias Charalambous has failed to keep a clean sheet in any match.
"Aberdeen" hasn't fared much better in Scotland. Thelin's men occupy the bottom position in the Scottish Premiership after two matchdays, having failed to score while conceding four goals. Their comeback in the first leg against Steaua came as a surprise to their own supporters.
Despite dominating possession (72% to 28%) and recording significantly more shots (28 to 10) in the first encounter, the Scottish side needed substitutes to rescue them after falling behind 0-2. Whether similar reinforcements from the bench can make a difference in Romania remains a big question.
By the numbers, Steaua created higher quality chances in the first leg despite playing with ten men for more than half the match. The expected goals (xG) statistic favored the Romanians at 1.79 to 1.43, contradicting the overall possession and shot statistics.
Can "Aberdeen" overcome the odds and hostile atmosphere in Bucharest? Or will Steaua's superior squad quality prove decisive on their home turf? Thursday's clash promises to answer these questions with a place in the Europa League group stage at stake.
