Aberdeen

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• Dundee have conceded more goals (53) and faced a higher expected goals against total (46.1) than any other side in the Premiership this season. Indeed, it's the most goals any side have conceded in their first 25 matches of a top-flight campaign since Dunfermline in 2011-12 (54).

• Dundee have won just two of their past 30 league meetings with Aberdeen (D8 L20), although both of those did come at home, winning 2-1 in October 2021 and 1-0 in March 2024.

• Aberdeen have won both of their league meetings with Dundee in 2024-25, as many as their previous seven matches against them beforehand (W2 D3 L2).

• Both of Dundee's past two Scottish Premiership games have been 6-0 losses (v Hearts and Celtic), making them the first side to suffer two 6+ goal margins of defeat in a single season in the competition since Motherwell in 2015-16.

• Aberdeen have lost eight of their past nine league games (D1), as many as their previous 37 beforehand (W17 D12 L8).

New signing Mats Knoester is ready to prove himself all over again at Aberdeen after seeing his dreams of playing for Feyenoord wrecked by injury. (Press & Journal), external

Read the rest of Thursday's gossip.

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

There was a sense of relief from Jimmy Thelin on Sunday as Aberdeen made their way through to the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup for the seventh time in nine seasons.

The 3-0 win over Dunfermline has set up a last-eight clash with Rangers' conquerors Queen's Park who will make the trip to Pittodrie for a second time this season having lost out narrowly in the League Cup groups last summer.

The timing of the Dons' first two goals was crucial to the outcome as, despite dominating, it didn't look as though a goal was coming before Pape Gueye's header broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time.

Once again, there can be no underestimating the importance of the Scottish Cup this season given the guarantee of Conference League football for the winners, unless strong favourites Celtic go on to lift it yet again.

Thelin said before kick-off that his team "had to win" and there was no question the pressure was on but the Dons ultimately took their place in the draw with minimal fuss, and focus now returns to trying to end the incredible run of 14 league games without a victory when they travel south to face Dundee.

The last time Aberdeen won a league game was against this weekend's opponents, three months ago. The last time Aberdeen won an away league game was against this weekend's opponents, almost five months ago.

Tony Docherty felt aggrieved on both occasions that his side ended up empty handed and given they have lost their past two Premiership matches 6-0 it is safe to say there will be huge motivation from the hosts.

Facing Aberdeen when on a poor run has been the perfect fixture for out-of-sorts sides recently - just look at Motherwell and St Mirren - and it's up to Thelin and his players to break that cycle. It will be interesting to see how the new-look Dons fare in this next batch of league matches with a visit from Kilmarnock to come before a daunting trip to Celtic Park.

The bottom line is that, despite the run, there remains a huge amount for Aberdeen to play for on two fronts with third place and a first Scottish Cup triumph in 35 years still there to be shot at.

Angus MacDonald's first outing since leaving Aberdeen ended in heartbreak as Exeter City came agonisingly close to a huge FA Cup shock against Nottingham Forest.

After Gary Caldwell's League One side held Forest to a 2-2 draw, debutant MacDonald thudded the bar in the shootout as hosts Exeter lost 4-2 on penalties.

"I'm obviously gutted," the defender told BBC Sport after the fourth-round tie.

"No one ever wants to miss a penalty, no one ever does it on purpose.

"I've always been one to put myself forward in a shootout - I always feel like I probably can step up and take a penalty.

"To miss, obviously I'm not going to forget about it for a little while, but it's one that I think we all need to sort of forget about, take the positives from the game and take that into the league and I'm sure we'll be absolutely fine."

Jimmy Thelin has challenged Aberdeen loanees Oday Dabbagh and Jeppe Okkels to earn permanent deals at Pittodrie between now and the end of the season. (Press and Journal, external)

Palestine international Dabbagh says he loved the "crazy atmosphere" at Pittodrie having watched the Dons' 3-0 Scottish Cup win against Dunfermline Athletic. (Press and Journal, external)

Glen Schreuder
Fan writer

Aberdeen progressed on the road to Hampden, with a 3-0 win over Dunfermline, and given our recent form it would have been easy to get tangled in a spider's web of a cup upset. Some sides find home games against lower-league teams trickier than others.

After Jimmy Thelin spoke about the need for leaders, Graeme Shinnie and Nicky Devlin were dropped to the bench. A sign of two players not meeting the expectations of the manager or was he managing minutes?

Confidence is key in football and we saw the good and bad from Kevin Nisbet. A miss Chris Iwelumo would be proud of, before tapping home the final goal to seal progression.

Off the ball Nisbet did a lot of good work while Ante Palaversa was an engine in midfield and Pape Habib Gueye was back dancing after scoring.

The highlight was our new signings, specifically man of the match Alexander Jensen scoring his first goal and an impressive debut from Mats Knoesters alongside fellow January recruit Kristers Tobers. Have we solved our defensive frailties?

We need to take this confidence to Dens Park this weekend as our cup form (the only competition in which we have won in 2025) needs to translate to the league.

The race for third is hotting up, as is the battle to remain in the top six. A win at Dundee could put us third, while defeat would see us clinging on to our top-six place.

We are entering the business stage of the season - it's time for the team to show we mean business.

Glen Schreuder can be found at Red Tinted Glasses, external

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Aberdeen will face Queen's Park in the Scottish Cup quarter-final.

Jimmy Thelin's men beat Dunfermline 3-0 in the fifth round to earn themselves a place in the quarters.

Queen's Park made it to the fifth round thanks to their sensational win over Rangers at Ibrox.

The ties will be played on the weekend of Saturday 8 March.

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Stand-in Aberdeen captain Sivert Heltne Nilsen is hopeful that Aberdeen's Scottish Cup victory over Dunfermline can turn around the Dons' dismal form.

Jimmy Thelin's side hadn't won a game at Pittodrie since 9 November - a run of six games without a victory - before the 3-0 win over the Pars on Sunday.

"It was a long time since we last won here," Nilsen told RedTV. "And it was more to get a good performance, everybody on the same page, be aggressive, try to press high as much as possible and be dangerous with a lot of players in the box.

"We saw some of the images that we wanted to see and we had a quite good feeling in the game. When we win, it's a nice feeling, so let's see."

Aberdeen's two wins in the Cup - the other coming against League Two side Elgin City - are their only two victories in the past 16 games.

The squad rebuild at Pittodrie continued in January, with six players brought in to the ailing Dons squad. On Sunday, nine of the starting 11 had joined this season alone.

"There were some good things we can bring along," Nilsen continued. "We will look at it much later next week. Let's see what we can get out of it.

"It's very important to get a good feeling when we have so many new players in a lot of positions.

"It's a new way of playing almost, when you have new players in, that you have to learn their skills and how they want to play and how you can put them in their best situation.

"This is something we need to learn as quick as possible and also working for the future."

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Jimmy Thelin has praised the resilience of striker Kevin Nisbet after he helped seal a convincing Scottish Cup victory over Dunfermline.

Nisbet, who has only scored once since November, hit the post on Sunday before scoring the third goal in the Dons' 3-0 victory.

The result is Aberdeen's second win in 16 matches - both of which have come in the cup.

"It was an important game for us and we had to win," the manager said.

"In the first half we saw some more directness in how we attack, the things we've been working on.

"It's good to see some clear signs of how we want to look and this attacking approach.

"It's always difficult but we got a clean sheet and three goals.

"Kevin has worked really hard the last few weeks in training and he's getting sharper with every week.

"I could see in his smile after he scored that he was happy and relieved, so it's good for him and good for us."

As he was paraded as a new signing by Spanish club Leganes along with former Rangers left-back Borna Barisic, Duk said he went AWOL from Aberdeen last summer after his agent and the Scottish Premiership outfit "had a little bit of an argument", but the 24-year-old forward did not wish to reveal further details. (The National), external

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has vowed it will be a more aggressive Dons team that takes to the pitch against Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup on Sunday.

The Dons boss was very critical of his side following last weekend's 2-0 defeat at Hibs, a result which extended their winless league run to 14 games.

Aberdeen knocked out League Two side Elgin City in the previous round of the competition and Thelin is hoping for a similar outcome this weekend.

"I think it is another chance for us to change the way we approach the games and the identity we want to show for our fans," he said.

"They [Dunfermline] have changed manager, they are a good team but we are also a good team we have just been out of form for a while.

"How the players have responded this week and the training sessions with the new players, we are really ready to show our fans we can win this cup game.

"Sometimes in bad runs you have to look in the mirror and from there you need to take that responsibility and change quickly.

"We are looking forward to the game and it is going to be a more intense and aggressive Aberdeen on the pitch.

"We know we have to do better, that is clear to everyone so now we have to work together to fix it.

"But the support has been there every game at home and away and that is so important to get out of this difficult run that we keep pushing together, it is the board, it is the chairman, everybody around the team is working so hard together with the supporters to find a way back to good results again."

A deadline day move from Aberdeen to Nottingham Forrest for 16-year-old defender Lewis Carrol collapsed due to administrative issues as the Premier League club failed to secure the necessary Fifa clearance. (Press & Journal), external

Read the rest of Saturday's Scottish gossip.

Colin Moffat
BBC Sport Scotland

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Dunfermline were victims of Airdrie's recent resurgence but they responded with a good derby win over Raith Rovers before tumbling out of the SPFL Trust Trophy at the semi-final stage.

New head coach Michael Tidser was well backed in the winter transfer window but the Pars' best hope on Sunday probably rests on just how atrocious hosts Aberdeen have been of late.

The Dons' dip has been astonishing, going 14 without a win in the Premiership and scoring once in their past eight league outings.

Jimmy Thelin delivered some harsh home truths last weekend and seems happy with how further talks with his players have gone, but the atmosphere at Pittodrie will be anxious and angsty if Aberdeen continue to mis-fire.

Hamilton may have been hoping to pray on frayed nerves at St Johnstone but Accies have lost three in a row without scoring, while the Premiership's bottom side have won three in a row.

Read all the Scottish Cup picks

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Former Aberdeen defender Stefan Gartenmann helped convince Mats Knoester to join the Dons.

The Dutch defender was a deadline-day arrival, joining on a two-and-a-half year deal from Ferencvaros.

Knoester was able to get the lowdown on life in the north east of Scotland from Gartenmann, who was a team-mate of his at the Hungarian champions.

"When Aberdeen called I knew about them," the 26-year-old said.

"I spoke to Stefan, he told me lots of positive stuff and it was pretty clear to me to come here.

"He heard that there was some interest, then he sent me a text asking if it was true and then we just spoke with each other and of course I asked some questions about how it is here and he had a very good experience.

"So that is what we talked about, we talked some things through and also he knows me quite well because we spent a lot of time together in the last six months at Ferencvaros so he also could have an opinion on if he thinks it is a good fit.

"I used his information to get to know Aberdeen a bit more from a player's side and that made the decision easier."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Jimmy Thelin has been speaking to the media before Aberdeen host Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup on Sunday.

Here are the key lines from the Dons boss:

• Thelin says it was a "good window for us" after bringing in defender Mats Knoester and striker Oday Dabbagh on deadline day to take his January signings total to six.

• Konester should be available for the weekend, but clearance for Dabbagh is likely to take a bit longer.

• On his comments last weekend that the players weren't giving him enough, Thelin says: "I also belong to the group, it is not about them or me."

• On their dreadful form: "It is nothing to hide from, we know we have to do better", adding "No one is hiding or trying to find excuses."

• There has been a "a clear message" in his discussions with the squad this week and it is time to "move on and break the circle".

• Thelin says he is an "optimistic person" and points out: "We are still in the cup and can still get third, that has to be the focus instead of looking back."

• On the Dunfermline game: "We have to win, we know that." Thelin says the Pars are a good side, but highlights "we are a good team", just out of form.

• Team news: Dimitar Mitov still a couple of weeks away and Ester Sokler is out for another three to four weeks.

Jack Herrall
BBC Sport Scotland

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On deadline day Aberdeen signed Palestine's record scorer Oday Dabbagh on loan from Charleroi in Belgium.

But who is the new striker tasked with getting the goals to return the Dons to winning ways amid the club's abject run?

Now 26 years old, the 6ft forward made his professional debut at age 16 in his home country with Hilal Al-Quds. He helped the club to three successive West Bank Premier League titles and was the division's top scorer in 2019 with a 16-goal haul.

Such prolific form earned Dabbagh a move to Kuwait, with stints at Al-Salmiya SC, Qadsia, Al-Yarmouk SC, and Al-Arabi SC, winning the 2020-21 league title with the latter and finishing the league's top scorer with 13 goals.

Europe beckoned next for the promising striker, joining Portuguese top-flight side Arouca, where he became the first homegrown Palestinian footballer to play in one of the continent's top five leagues.

Dabbagh scored 15 goals across 45 appearances in his debut campaign, however it was in his second season with the club that he really thrived, netting 11 in 21 games.

That brought plenty of praise but he didn't feature for the club during the final two months of the season, with a move to Belgian Pro League side Charleroi in the offing.

When his then manager Armando Evangelista was asked about the forward's exclusion with rumours of a move to Belgian swirling, he said: "These are consequences of the market."

Seven goals in 44 appearances followed in Belgium, with his contribution last term keeping Charleroi in the league after they slipped into the relegation play-off rounds. He has scored only once this season, a 90th-minute equaliser against Standard Liege in late November.

Dabbagh's international exploits, however, are the most notable of his career so far.

He has netted 16 goals in 45 caps, making him Palentine's record scorer, and whichever club he is at closely followed by fans of the national side.

Can Dabbagh be the man to turn Aberdeen's fortunes around, or will he succumb to their on-field struggles?

We asked for your thoughts on Aberdeen's transfer business after the window closed on Monday.

Here's what some of you said:

Grant: On the face of it, we've done good business by adding some needed depth in defence and hopefully a good striker which we've sorely needed all season. I would have liked to see another midfielder and attacker but it's at least a step in the right direction.

Graham: They have brought in players that the supporters don't know, so fingers crossed they are what we need to get out of the current predicament. It's a case of watch this space.

William: I appreciate the club are operating a player trading model, but our scouting seems to cover every country except Scotland. We're filling a squad with players from abroad with fancy names but no experience of the Scottish game. Surely there is Scottish or British talent out there that can enhance our squad as well?

Darren: There are no doubts that the board have backed Jimmy Thelin in this window, and hopefully the new additions will kickstart a much-needed resurgence in form. Correct decisions also made with the players who have departed the club. All in all a very good transfer window. The optimism grows!

Andrew: Kristers Tobers, Alexander Jensen and Jeppe Okkels look promising. We have to hope these new players can handle Thelin's system better than the current squad. Playing out is for high-calibre teams. Without enough quality it is self-defeating. We now have about six central defenders and must hope at least one pair can get an understanding and stay fit. The midfield looks light.

Fred: I hope the excellent signings deliver in time to save our season. I was disappointed that we did not significantly strengthen the midfield. I hope the new players give there all and set a strong example.

Beefy: Time will tell how the new signings settle into Thelin's style of play. I expect they are fitter and more committed than those they are replacing - but that wouldn't be difficult! Tobers is a great player. I like Jensen but don't like seeing him at left-back always checking on to his right foot. Our new striker looks promising too.

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

When deciding what to write this week and having covered Aberdeen's latest morale-sapping defeat at a Hibernian side now within striking distance of a team that was once 23 clear of them, I felt it was time for a break from that rather than dip readers in more misery.

While the current incumbents of the red jersey tailspin towards the bottom six and, incredibly, something far worse, another handful of legends were inducted into the club's hall of fame last week.

Great pre-World War II goalscorer Matt Armstrong along with 1990 Scottish Cup heroes Brian Irvine, Charlie Nicholas and Hans Gillhaus were the latest to have the honour bestowed upon them.

The Dons won the cup double in 1989-90 at a time it was expected they wouldn't just challenge for major honours, but win them.

Irvine's decisive penalty in the shootout victory over Celtic 35 years ago remains Aberdeen's last Scottish Cup victory. At the time people would have scoffed at the suggestion they still wouldn't have won it again three-and-a-half decades later as they prepare to face Dunfermline on Sunday for a place in the quarter-finals.

You would struggle to find a nicer gentleman than Irvine, who had deputised for the injured Willie Miller for much of that season. He placed his spot-kick into the top right corner away from the grasp of Packie Bonner with some style and calmness when you consider the pressure he must have been under.

Irvine, who was signed by Alex Ferguson in 1985, was at the club for more than a decade and had a helping hand in ensuring the Dons avoided relegation in 1995.

In terms of signings, Nicholas arriving at Pittodrie in the New Year of 1988 is unlikely to be surpassed. This was as Hollywood as it gets for Aberdeen. Joining from Arsenal, the former Celtic forward was a proper star and his arrival lit up the post-Ferguson years.

Everyone knew Nicholas was returning to his boyhood club Celtic when he stepped up to take his penalty in that 1990 final against the team he would be part of shortly after, but he stuck it away like he was practising in his back garden. Ice cool.

Nicholas is on the record as stating he feels he shouldn't have left Aberdeen when he did and if he had hung around, perhaps that 1991 title would have gone their way rather than Rangers' on the final day.

Gillhaus' arrival two years after certainly pushed the Nicholas signing in terms of excitement. This was a Dutch international who had won the European Cup the year before, starting PSV Eindhoven's victory over Benfica in Stuttgart. It's unimaginable these days a club like Aberdeen could pull off that sort of coup.

The Dutchman scored twice in the first half of his debut, including a memorable overhead kick, against Dunfermline and followed it up with a superb winner against Rangers just a few days later. He too converted his penalty at Hampden.

As the current Dons side desperately try and get the engine running on their season, they could do worse than study the club's Hall of Fame list and see what it takes to become a Pittodrie legend.

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin is already making plans for the summer transfer window. (Press and Journal - subscription), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

With the transfer window now closed, how do you feel about Aberdeen's January business?

Jimmy Thelin was a busy man, bringing in six new players to try to rectify the Dons' dismal run of form.

Deadline-day signing Mats Knoester joined fellow defenders Kristers Tobers and Alexander Jensen on a permanent deal.

Forward Oday Dabbagh also signed up last night on a loan deal, while Thelin secured the loan signatures of defender Alfie Dorrington and winger Jeppe Okkels earlier in the window.

Heading out the Pittodrie exit were winger Duk and defender Angus MacDonald, while James McGarry departed on loan.

So, are Aberdeen in better shape now to turn around their fortunes around or did they need strengthening elsewhere?

Have your say on Aberdeen's transfer business., external