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Aberdeen were knocked out of the Europa Conference League despite Jamie McGrath’s sensational free-kick that snatched a point from PAOK Thessaloniki in Greece.
The Irishman’s set-piece shot from 25 yards gave him the Scottish Premiership point after Taison and Mbwanna Samatta gave the hosts the lead.
A very good goal from Duk early in the first half instilled confidence in the conditions, but Barry Robson’s side ultimately failed in a European thriller.
Still winless after four games in Group G, their faint hopes of qualifying for the round of 16 were dashed by Eintracht Frankfurt’s victory in Helsinki.
All of you from Aberdeen
Without their talisman Bojan Miovski, all Aberdeen’s attention has been focused on Duk, a player who has fallen under the brilliant criteria he set last season.
But first, to appease the throbbing PAOK crowd, the Cape Verdean foreigner returned to the stage.
A long pass over the more sensible allowed McGrath to break a pass to Duk, and the striker effortlessly and brutally offered a lineout, a turn and an end to build an advantage on the outside.
The equaliser also came out of nowhere, as a breakaway ended with a clinical finish from veteran Taison to cool the visitors’ spirits.
After a late cross from Graham Shinnie, Aberdeen had to press.
Slobodan Rubezic pushed the ball into his own post; Stefan Schwab narrowly missed Taison’s outrageous pass. Scrums and madness, but Aberdeen survived until the break. Just.
Thanks to an early shot from Giannis Konstantelias, which deflected off a post by Kelle Roos, the visitors found the form and courage to frustrate the Greek team.
Their game was shattered, albeit in a smooth and disappointing way, when a moment when a ball entered the box was headed through Samatta.
The memory of PAOK’s ruthless return to Pittodrie was still fresh in Aberdeen’s mind, so when McGrath returned home from a distance, a sense of vengeance spread through their ranks.
That blow at home sealed through a VAR penalty, but this time Aberdeen’s saviour. Kostantinos Koulierakis’ fall to the bridge was slight and due to offside position.
Robson’s men had to do everything they could to keep their European dreams alive, but they were forced to fight because qualification was out of reach.
This setting illustrates the entire continental crusade of Aberdeen, a crusade that we will remember with reflections on what might have happened.
Disappointment in Frankfurt. Frustration against Helsinki. Favourites at home against PAOK. During the organization phase, Robson’s team failed to cross the finish line, despite some glimmers of belonging at this level.
In Greece, they were either discouraged by a formidable crowd or inspired by admirable opposition. PAOK demolished Hearts last season, but in two games against Aberdeen, they were asked some serious questions.
A defence that has at times been shaky in the Premiership looked assured, as the entire team remained compact to hide the area in which PAOK thrive.
Duk’s devastating first goal will give the coach hope that he can impress in domestic competition, especially alongside his old friend Miovski, whose presence would possibly have only bolstered the visitors’ confidence that there is a little more.
With progression concepts now firmly in the rearview mirror, Aberdeen will have to fully concentrate on the road ahead.
They have run out of European excuses and will have to raise the interest rate as soon as possible if they want to return to the level from which the curtain has now fallen.
Barry Robson, Aberdeen manager: “I’m very proud of them tonight. They gave us everything. “
“This is a game that beat Eintracht Frankfurt here. This is a match that beat Olympiacos 4-2 at the weekend. It’s a game in which we’ve invested a lot. We got here and we faced them. “
“It’s a new team. They didn’t spend much time together in the educational field. They’re also in the cup final, so we can only grow. We got a little lost at the end, but you don’t forget. which is an amazing quality that we’re up against.
It’s a tough task this weekend as they face Celtic on Sunday (14:30 GMT) ahead of their next Conference League fixture at HJK Helsinki on Thursday 30 November (19:45).