The Dons are out of the Conference League and now have to focus on the league
18:01, 12 Dec 2025
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Dimitar Mitov(Image: SNS Group)
Dimitar Mitov has claimed Aberdeen can take more positives than negatives from their Conference League knockout at the hands of leaders Strasbourg.
The Dons battled hard against the Ligue 1 side, who had already qualified for the knockout stages, but narrowly lost 1-0 at Pittodrie. Aberdeen, certainly in the first half, had the better chances against Strasbourg and Mitov believes he and his teammates can take a lift from that, going back into Premiership action against Kilmarnock at the weekend.
The keeper admitted: “I am really disappointed. I felt we had chances, especially in the first half, to go ahead. When you play against opposition like this, a really good football team you need to take your chances. To win games you need to score and not concede or score more than the opposition.
“That was the case on Thursday, they scored more than we did. Listen, I am really proud of the boys because we have really grown so much as a team. It is really disappointing, but at the same time it is also really positive. If we manage to create chances against a team like that then it shows we are going in the right direction.
“We are working in the right way and it is definitely more positive than negative, to be sure. We have shown resilience and we are much harder to beat than before. That is something that we have to give credit to all the boys, all the boys who have come off the bench and put in a shift. It is a good sign that the team is improving.”
The French side - who are part of the Chelsea multi-club group - were able to make a number of changes from their squad but Mitov has insisted the visitor's quality was still there for all to see. “It doesn’t matter because they are in the French top division,” Mitov stated. For you to play in that team you need to be a very good player.
“It doesn’t matter what team you put out because they are a very competitive team and they showed that on Thursday. We could have done better in some areas of the pitch but in 90 minutes of a game you can’t be perfect. Nobody is perfect.
“They managed to take their chance and we didn’t. That’s football. The main thing is we need to be positive but there were a lot of good things there.”
Mitov certainly played his part in keeping the scoreline down. He made two brilliant saves to deny Martial Godo and then surpassed that with a penalty spot to deny Ismael Doukoure.
He said: “That is my job. When the team needs me, I have to be there for the team because they do so much running. They will give up chances and you need your goalkeeper to dig you out.
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Strasbourg's Ismael Doukoure has his penalty saved by Aberdeen goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov(Image: PA)
“I am happy I managed to do that to give the team a platform and a chance to score and equalise and potentially win the game, but it wasn’t meant to be. We can’t take the negatives. We have to put it behind us and go for a victory on Sunday.”
Aberdeen have been in good form in the Premiership and that has seen them climb into the top six. They will now look to strengthen that position when Kilmarnock travel north. “We now need to focus on the league," the former St Johnstone player admitted.
“This game is gone and we will look at the positives, look at where we could have done better and where we have done well. It is another game on Sunday at Pittodrie against Kilmarnock and it is going to be a game where we need to be at our best to be victorious.”
The Dons beat Kilmarnock last time out at Rugby Park, where Dylan Lobban made his first league start. Aberdeen then head to Sparta Prague to sign off their Conference League campaign next Thursday.
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Mitov claimed: “I am going to give you the boring answer. “I need to think about the Sunday game. Prague feels so far away. Let’s get over Sunday and then I can answer that.
Aberdeen are without Gavin Molloy and Kristers Tobers.