Burkina Faso
Indonesia
Nigeria

Stephen Glass: Aberdeen are going to Iceland to win

sportsmole.co.uk, 4 August 2021, 15:47
Stephen Glass insists Aberdeen will aim for more than just a clean sheet when they tackle Breidablik on Thursday night.

The Dons take on the Icelandic side in the national stadium in Reykjavik in the first leg of the Europa Conference League third qualifying round.

Fresh from an encouraging 2-0 win over Dundee United in their cinch Premiership opener at Pittodrie on Sunday, and having beaten Swedish side Hacken 5-3 on aggregate in the previous round, boss Glass told Aberdeen's website of his intent to go for the win.

He said: "Whenever you go away in Europe it's never easy. You know you will be facing a good team.

"They were able to beat a traditionally big club in Austria Wien in the last round, so we know they're a dangerous side.

"It's going to be a challenge but the target is the same as every game we go into - we are looking to try to win the game.

"We're not here to try and defend and try to hang onto a 0-0, we're here to win, the same way we approach everything and that's the best way for us to approach things. That's our aim.

"How that pans out on the night, we'll have to wait and see, it might finish 0-0 and we might think that's OK on the way home.

"But that's not our aim, that's not how we are approaching the game.

"We've done our homework, our planning and our preparation and we think we are ready.

"We feel if we do what we are looking to do and play well, then we'll be good enough to go through but I'm sure the team sitting in the other dressing room will feel the same about themselves."

Glass has left Matty Kennedy back in Scotland to try to recover from a sore back but Funso Ojo, injured against United at the weekend, has travelled as has Ryan Hedges, who missed the match on Sunday with an ankle knock. The Aberdeen boss is hopeful they will be declared fit.

Breidablik are 14 games into their domestic season now, but Glass is not unduly concerned.

He said: "They've played more games than we have, but so had Hacken, so I don't think it's relevant.

"We prepared well in pre-season, the players are in good shape, the mood is good after the Dundee United game.

"We're always looking to get better but we feel we are moving in the right direction and we aim to continue that on Thursday.

"We're three games deep into things, we know there is more to come from all areas of the team.

"Christian (Ramirez) and JET (Jay Emmanuel-Thomas) are working well together for example, they've made themselves popular with the supporters who can see how hard they're working for each other and the team.

"But we know that the more opportunities they get to work with each other in training and games, the more we'll see from them."

Top News

19 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Inter Miami will be looking to pick up successive MLS wins for the first time since September when they play host to Nashville SC at the Chase Stadium on Saturday. 19 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The bottom two teams in the Bundesliga table lock horns on Saturday afternoon as 17th-placed Koln play host to basement club SV Darmstadt 98 at RheinEnergieStadion. 19 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk RB Leipzig will be looking to boost their hopes of securing a top-four finish in the Bundesliga when they travel to Voith-Arena to face Heidenheim on Saturday afternoon. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal are reportedly weighing up a £165m deal to lure two Premier League attackers to the Emirates Stadium this summer. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk On Saturday, Lyon Women will play host to domestic rivals Paris Saint-Germain Women in the first leg of their Women's Champions League semi-final. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bayer Leverkusen have set a new unbeaten record after salvaging a 1-1 draw against West Ham United to progress 3-1 on aggregate to the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday night. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two sides with contrasting Primeira Liga ambitions this season will face off this weekend when Braga take on Vizela at Estadio Municipal de Braga on Saturday night. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Saturday's Primeira Liga action will get underway at the Parque Desportivo Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas where Moreirense will play host to Gil Vicente. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery has admitted that he thought goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez had been sent off during the penalty shootout against Lille. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has admitted that the Reds gave themselves too much to do in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final with Atalanta BC on Thursday evening. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Marseille prevailed in a penalty shootout against Benfica to secure their place in the Europa League semi-finals. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Roma booked their spot in the semi-finals of the Europa League courtesy of a 3-1 aggregate victory over Serie A rivals AC Milan in the quarter-finals of the competition. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk West Ham United have been knocked out in the Europa League quarter-finals despite holding Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen to a 1-1 draw in the second leg at the London Stadium on Thursday night. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool fell short in their latest quest for a continental miracle as they exited the Europa League with a 3-1 aggregate defeat to Atalanta BC in the quarter-finals. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Samsunspor will be looking to end their winless run when they host Adana Demirspor at the Samsun 19 Mayis Stadium on Saturday evening. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United have reportedly identified signing a new left-back as their main priority for the upcoming summer transfer window. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona Women are set to face Chelsea Women in the Women's Champions League semi-finals for the second consecutive season. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Emiliano Martinez again stars in a penalty shootout to send Aston Villa through to the Europa Conference League semi-finals with victory over Lille. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk With just one point separating them after the first eight games, Sporting Kansas City and St Louis City go head-to-head at the Children's Mercy Park on Sunday. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal are reportedly among the clubs interested in securing a summer transfer for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko but are likely to face competition from Chelsea and Manchester United for his signature. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fresh from securing their spot in the Champions League semi-finals, Bayern Munich resume Bundesliga duties with a trip to Stadion An der Alten Forsterei to face Union Berlin on Saturday afternoon. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Relegation-threatened Bristol City Women will welcome Liverpool Women to Ashton Gate for Saturday's Women's Super League contest. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly giving serious consideration to making a move for Bayern Munich star Serge Gnabry in the upcoming transfer window. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Jurgen Klopp has made three changes to Liverpool's starting lineup for their Europa League quarter-final second leg with Atalanta BC in Bergamo. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Turkish Super Lig giants Besiktas have supposedly emerged as the latest contenders to take on one of Liverpool's departing assistants as their new manager. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Robert Lewandowski is again set to lead the Barcelona attack in Sunday night's El Clasico. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid will be hopeful that Vinicius Junior can shake off an injury concern in order to take to the field for Sunday evening's La Liga clash with Barcelona. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United forward Antony has insisted that he is "turning things around", with the Brazilian confident that he can prove himself for the 20-time English champions. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aberdeen and Celtic come together at Hampden Park on Saturday afternoon in the first of the Scottish Cup semi-finals that are taking place over the weekend. 18 April 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Girona will be bidding to return to winning ways in Spain's top flight when they welcome relegation-threatened Cadiz to Estadi Montilivi on Saturday evening.