Aberdeen are predicted to qualify for the Europa League next season - and could face money-spinning clashes with the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham if they do.
The Dons are on the way up under Barry Robson and are in a commanding position to finish in third place ahead of Hearts, Hibs and St Mirren. They sit five points clear of the Tynecastle side and with games against all three coming up as well as clashes with Rangers and Celtic, their European fate is in their own hands.
A third-place finish guarantees group stage European football next season and the only question would be whether it's Europa League or Conference League football that lies in wait. Aberdeen would go into a playoff for the second tier and would hope to go one better than Hearts did against Zurich earlier this season and qualify for the more lucrative of the two competitions.
And it's set to be a strong Europa League next season if predictions by Swiss Football Data on Twitter are anything to go by. Based on current league standings, they predict Liverpool and Tottenham will be the Premier League's representatives and would go into Pot One.
Pot Two would be headlined by AC Milan and Sporting CP while Pot Three is predicted to feature Belgian sides Union SG and Genk - away days the travelling Dons would cherish. Aberdeen themselves are expected to go into Pot Four if they do qualify and that means they could face a rematch with Qarabag, who eliminated them from Europe in 2021.
If predictions come to pass, the Dons could land a nightmare, although glamorous, group featuring Liverpool, AC Milan and Norwegian champions Molde. Their best case scenario could see them pitted against Bayer Leverkusen, previous opponents Qarabag and Moldovan minnows Sheriff Tiraspol in a group they would fancy their chances of qualifying from.
Predicted Europa League pots 2023/24
Pot 1: Basel (SUI), Liverpool (ENG), AS Roma (ITA), Ajax (NED), RB Leipzig (GER), Villarreal (ESP), Tottenham Hotspur (ENG), Bayer Leverkusen (GER)
Pot 2: Sporting CP (POR), AC Milan (ITA), PSV Eindhoven (NED), Real Betis (ESP) LASK (AUT), AS Monaco (FRA), Ferencvaros (HUN), Qarabag (AZE)
Pot 3: Molde (NOR), Slovan Bratislava (SVK), Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL), Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA), Union St. Gilloise (BEL), Racing Genk (BEL), Royal Antwerp (BEL), Zorya Luhansk (UKR)
Pot 4: Sparta Praha (CZE), Sturm Graz (AUT), Toulouse (FRA), AEK Athens (GRE), Aberdeen (SCO), Cukaricki (SRB), Backa Topola (SRB), Luzern (SUI)
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