Sparta Prague vs Aberdeen LIVE: UEFA Conference League radio, updates, report, stats & head-to-head
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin will select “the best team available” against Sparta Prague, despite their final Conference League game being a dead rubber.
A 1-0 home defeat by Strasbourg in their last outing put paid to the Scottish Premiership side’s already slim hopes of progressing to the knockout stages.
It means Aberdeen, who are ranked 33rd out of the 36 teams in the competition, only have pride to play for in the Czech capital on Thursday.
“We have a strong competition inside the squad, but we are going to try to put the best team we can on the pitch,” Thelin said.
“Players want to play in the starting XI, they want to grow, and you have to create this capacity to perform Thursday-Sunday. For us it is a good opportunity.”
Aberdeen have taken just two points from their five games in the competition so far, with five of the sides they have played among the top 10 teams in the table.
They draw with AEK Larnaca in Cyprus and at home against Armenia’s Noah, but lost their Pittodrie opener against Shakhtar Donetsk and away against AEK Athens.
“We are playing against a really strong opponent so for us it is to prove that we are also a good team and take the challenge and try to win the game,” Thelin said.
While Aberdeen don’t have anything tangible to play for, their opponents – who are sixth in the tournament standings – know a win would see them progress straight through to the round of 16, avoiding the knockout phase play-offs.
“We have played against really good teams,” Thelin added. “I feel the team has grown from the play-offs in to the group phase and I think a lot of players have learned a lot about what demands are on them to perform, Thursday-Sunday.’
“We have done well in the league after European games, so I think the players are growing and taking small steps so how for us it is important to show tomorrow that we keep growing and also again on Sunday.”
