Devlin Urges Aberdeen to Deliver Full Performance in Cup Semi-Final

Right-back Nicky Devlin has called on Aberdeen to deliver the intensity of their second-half display at Parkhead when they compete in the League Cup semi-final at Hampden this Saturday. The Dons approach the match with momentum, having recently defeated Rangers midweek, a result that keeps them level with Celtic at the Premiership summit. Under new boss Jimmy Thelin, the team has achieved 15 wins and a single draw. Devlin highlighted their recent comeback at Celtic Park, where Aberdeen recovered from a 2-0 deficit at halftime to secure a draw, as an example of the performance required to advance closer to silverware. The Scotland international stated, “We showed last time against Celtic that we can obviously score goals against them.” He emphasized the necessity of a strong start, adding, “We have to bring that second-half performance against Celtic from the very start because I think the first half against Celtic wasn’t great.” Devlin acknowledged defensive lapses in their previous encounter, noting, “We probably let them get too much of a foothold in the game. They scored a couple of goals. So we know we need to keep it a wee bit tighter at the back against them.” Despite this, he expressed confidence in the team’s offensive capabilities: “But we know we’ve got goals within the team.” Looking ahead to the semi-final, Devlin concluded, “To be honest I think come Saturday, if we want to go through, we probably will have to put a 90-minute performance in or 120, whatever it may be.” He stressed the importance of avoiding a repeat of their earlier performance: “I don’t think we can probably be as poor in the first half as we were at Parkhead. Again, we have to be better on that.”