Dons boss hopes fitness will count against Groningen

Underdogs can take bite out of Dutch outfit.

Derek McInnes admits Aberdeen will be considered underdogs over two legs against Dutch cracks Groningen.

But the Dons boss reckons his side’s early start to the season could see the super-fit Reds running rings around the rusty Dutch at Pittodrie.

McInnes’ side secured their place in the Europa League second qualifying round with a comfortable 8-0 aggregate victory over Daugava Riga.

The Dons’ 3-0 second-leg win in the Latvian capital took their goals tally for this season to an astonishing 23 in six games.

And McInnes is confident that while his side may not be favourites to progress against Groningen, the fact that the Eredivisie side have less match practice could hand the Reds an advantage in Thursday’s first-leg clash.

He said: “The disadvantage we possibly had against Daugava in terms of match fitness, we might have a slight advantage over Groningen in that respect.

“We started pre-season in early June for that very reason and have played six games across friendlies and the Europa League ties.

“They’ve played a couple of friendlies and Tony Docherty watched them last night in one of those.

“That said, they’re a good side, a capable side, they’ve had a lot of big results and finished last season really strongly.

“I think they’ll be favourites, being the team that is coming in in a later round, but we feel we can compete against any opposition.”

McInnes’ pragmatic one-game-at-a-time approach has worked wonders at Aberdeen since he took over from Craig Brown.

That strategy remains in place at Pittodrie this season, but the prospect of reaching the Europa League group stages is tough to ignore.

And McInnes has urged his side to keep their Europa League dream alive well into the domestic season.

“It’s certainly something to work towards,” he said. “We obviously have to see how we go with Groningen first, but we want to go and have a run.

“We enjoyed going to Latvia and the experience of it and we’ll enjoy going to Holland but we don’t want to stop there. We want that to continue and I’m sure we’ll go and make a fist of it over the two games.”