Aberdeen's switch to a three at the back formation against Hearts showcased Duk's ability as an out and out striker with the Cape Verde international running the Jambos defence ragged.
Off the back of the dismal 4-0 defeat at the hands of bottom of the table Dundee United the previous weekend, Dons boss Jim Goodwin opted to scrap the traditional back four in defence and instead set up with a 3-5-2 formation. Ross McCrorie moved into the back line alongside skipper Anthony Stewart and Celtic loanee Liam Scales, to help try and solidify an Aberdeen defence that has found clean sheets extremely hard to come by. The mumps and moans from Tannadice were instantly forgotten about.
And whilst the change in formation helped the Pittodrie side achieve that purpose against Hearts last Sunday in the 2-0 victory, it was Duk Lopes at the top end of the pitch that really stole the show. Since arriving from Benfica's B team in the summer, the forward had only featured in cameo roles for the Dons, as Goodwin and his staff were wary of the Cape Verde international's lack of fitness. Despite his limited game time, Duk was able to show glimpses of his quality, and scored goals against St Mirren, Annan Athletic and Ross County from the bench.
