Bojan Miovski’s sensational late winner earned 10-man Aberdeen a 1-0 Viaplay Cup semi-final victory over Hibernian at Hampden Park.
The Easter Road side edged a scrappy first half and were denied an opener in the 49th minute when VAR ruled attacker Martin Boyle was offside before he had the ball in the Dons net.
Aberdeen defender Jack MacKenzie was sent off by referee John Beaton in the 75th minute for picking up a second yellow card for a silly push on Hibs defender Lewis Miller but just as it looked like the tide was turning towards Leith, Miovski broke clear three minutes later to drive in his 10th goal of the season, leaving Hibs kicking themselves.
The Granite City men will take on Rangers or Hearts, who play in Sunday’s other semi-final at the national stadium, in the December 17 final, and after riding their luck against Hibs, they may feel their name could be on the trophy.
Neither Aberdeen nor Hibs were in sparkling form going into the game.
Under Nick Montgomery, who was appointed Hibees boss in September, the Leith outfit were five matches without a win, albeit four were drawn, while Aberdeen’s midweek victory at Motherwell was their first in five matches.
Dons boss Barry Robson, part of the Pittodrie side who won the competition in 2014, brought in midfielder Connor Barron, with Dante Polvara dropping to the bench.
Hibs goalkeeper David Marshall replaced Jojo Wollacott, with left-back Jordan Obita, midfielder Joe Newell and Boyle also returning.
It was an untidy start to the game but in the eighth minute, as Hibs broke with pace and purpose, the back-tracking Barron did well to put Elie Youan’s intended pass to Boyle behind for a corner, the pressure ending when Youan scooped a shot from 12 yards over the bar when he ought to have at least hit the target.
Around 10 minutes later, Jair Tavares’ shot from an Obita cut-back was blocked by Dons defender Stefan Gartenmann for another corner which came to nothing.
At the other end, in Aberdeen’s first real foray, Miovski pulled the ball back for captain Graeme Shinnie but he failed to connect properly 12 yards from goal and the chance was lost.
The second half could only get better and within minutes of the restart Aberdeen right-back Nicky Devlin did well to clear a Miller cut-back for yet another Hibs corner which the Granite City side survived.
However, the Pittodrie defence was soon to be breached.
A long ball up the park from Hibs defender Will Fish was pulled out the air by the speedy Boyle before he raced on to knock it past Kelle Roos from 12 yards, but a lengthy VAR check ruled him offside and it was the Dons supporters who were cheering.
The game then sparked into life.
Hibs kept pushing and Roos made a fine save from Tavares’ angled-drive, and Dylan Vente’s goal-bound drive from a Youan pass hit Devlin and went behind for a corner and again the Leith side could not capitalise.
Barron made way for Polvara but soon the below-par Dons had more to worry about when MacKenzie, already booked for a foul on Miller earlier, chased after the Hibs defender to push him and receive a second yellow and a red from Beaton.
It looked ominous for Robson’s side but in sensational fashion, Miovski raced on to a Polvara pass and confidently beat Marshall with an angled-drive from 12 yards.
The Dons fans were in raptures and Miovski had another chance when he got through the Hibs rearguard but chipped past the post and then he was booked for going down too easily in the Hibs box under pressure from Fish.
Hibs pressed hard in the closing stages – substitute Christian Doidge sent a header wide – but seven added minutes could not bring a leveller and it was Aberdeen’s day.
[(Vissel Kobe) Strength]: 1. Taisei Miyashiro has scored 7 goals for Vissel Kobe in the J1 League this season, making him the team's top scorer.2. Daiju Sasaki has contributed 6 assists for Vissel Kobe this season and is the team's assist leader.3. Vissel Kobe have achieved a record of 7 wins and 2 draws in their last 9 official matches, demonstrating an outstanding form.4. Vissel Kobe have achiev...
[(Deportivo Toluca) Strength]: 1. Deportivo Toluca currently ranked third in Group A of the Leagues Cup. Facing New York City FC who are 13th-place in Group B, Deportivo Toluca, who performed better, are aiming for the three points, so they are motivated.2. Deportivo Toluca have many strong players, with Helinho and Alexis Vega leading the forward line, Marcel Ruiz and Ricardo Angulo anchoring the...
[(FC Tokyo) Strength]: 1. FC Tokyo forward Motoki Nagakura scored a goal in the last Emperor's Cup game, helping the team take the lead. So far, he scored in both the Emperor's Cup matches, showing stable performances in this tournament.2. FC Tokyo won 3-2 over Urawa Red Diamonds in the last league game, securing a winning streak of two competitive games, which revealed fit form.3. FC Tokyo scored...
[(Columbus Crew) Strength]: 1. Columbus Crew currently ranked fifth in Group B of the Leagues Cup. Facing Club Leon who are in 13th place in Group A, Columbus Crew are aiming for the three points and are full of fighting spirit.2. Columbus Crew striker Diego Rossi has scored two goals in the last two Leagues Cup matches, with high goal-scoring efficiency.3. Columbus Crew have remained unbeaten in ...
[(Tigres UANL) Strength]: 1. Tigres UANL have won both of their 2 group matches and are at the top of the group. However, they are only one point behind the teams behind them. The team still need points to consolidate their current position and have a strong motivation to grab points.2. Tigres UANL striker Angel Correa scored a brace in the last game, helping his team secure all three points. So f...
[(Mazatlan F.C.) Strength]: 1. Mazatlan F.C. are 2nd with 5 points in the table and still need points to secure a qualification spot, indicating strong motivation in this game.2. Nicolas Benedetti made 2 assists in a row in the last game, helping his teammates score.3. Mazatlan F.C. won 2-0 over Houston Dynamo in the last game. They received 2 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss in the last 5 games, showing...
[(Hamrun Spartans F.C.) Strength]: 1. Hamrun Spartans F.C. were eliminated by FC Dynamo Kyiv in the previous stage of the Champions League qualifiers and can only compete for a Europa League spot at present. Facing Israeli giants Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C., Hamrun Spartans F.C. hope to strive for a win to lay a solid foundation for the second leg and are highly motivated.[(Hamrun Spartans F.C.) Weaknes...
[(Houston Dynamo) Strength]: 1. Starting forward Ezequiel Ponce scored 9 goals across all competitions this season, the top scorer of the team.[(Houston Dynamo) Neutral]: 1. The two teams met only once in the last 10 years, where Houston Dynamo drew 0-0 with Pachuca in the 2023 Leagues Cup.[(Houston Dynamo) Weakness]: 1. Houston Dynamo lost two games in the Leagues Cup, ranking at the bottom of th...
[(Malmo FF) Strength]: 1. As the traditional giants in the Allsvenskan, Malmo FF are now 4th in the league with stable performances this season. In this Champions League qualifier against F.C. Copenhagen, they will take home advantage to go all out.2. Malmo FF performed well in the league and the Champions League qualification lately. They have remained unbeaten since July, receiving 7 wins and 2 ...
[(PFC Ludogorets Razgrad) Strength]: 1. PFC Ludogorets Razgrad striker Ivaylo Chochev has scored in the last two matches. The player is in good form and is expected to start in this game.2. PFC Ludogorets Razgrad defeated FC Dobrudzha 2-1 in the last First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) match and have remained unbeaten in regular time in the last five games, with a commendable performance...
- 1 Bayern Munich confirm Palhinha "transfer negotiations" as Spurs move closer
- 2 TIPS - Real Salt Lake VS Atletico San Luis
- 3 Arsenal legend backs Premier League rivals to become next invincibles and take prestigious title from Gunners
- 4 Daily Laugh - Raya nair
- 5 Man Utd, Newcastle turn to Stuttgart striker Woltemade
- 6 TIPS - FC Kairat Almaty VS SK Slovan Bratislava
- 7 Transfer rumors, news: Chelsea face dilemma over Simons
- 8 Real Madrid Willing to Sell Rodrygo — But Only If Two Key Conditions Are Met
- 9 TIPS - KF Shkendija VS Qarabag
- 10 Man United Go All In for Benjamin Sesko! Premier League Giants Notify RB Leipzig of Imminent Bid