The Pittodrie faithful were left with mixed feelings on Saturday evening, December 27, 2025, as Aberdeen and Dundee United battled to a 1-1 draw in a William Hill Premiership clash that delivered drama, frustration, and a touch of Swedish flair. Despite a sell-out crowd and a match brimming with storylines—from milestone appearances to transfer window uncertainty—neither side could find the decisive winner, leaving both managers with plenty to ponder as the festive fixtures roll on.
Aberdeen entered the contest eager to continue their recent run of form under manager Jimmy Thelin, who has been tinkering with his side in hopes of mounting a charge up the table. The Dons, unbeaten in their previous three matches, took to the field with a 4-2-3-1 formation—a shift away from the three-man defense that had brought some defensive solidity but perhaps stifled attacking intent. The change was partly forced, as Dylan Lobban sat out due to suspension, allowing Dante Polvara and Kevin Nisbet to step in alongside Alexander Jensen and Marko Lazetic.
But it was the visitors who struck first, and in some style. Dundee United, missing key defenders Ross Graham and Ryan Strain due to muscle injuries and with Luca Stephenson suspended, were forced to reshuffle their backline. Bert Esselink, Iurie Iovu, and Dario Naamo filled the gaps, while the return of goalkeeper Yevhenii Kucherenko to the bench following a thigh injury provided a boost. Dave Richards, however, kept his place between the sticks and would soon be tested.
The opening exchanges saw Aberdeen press forward, with Stuart Armstrong's early effort easily gathered by Richards. United responded in kind, Krisztian Keresztes' header straight at Dimitar Mitov, but the Dons dominated possession, racking up a remarkable 77% in the first half. Yet, as so often at Pittodrie, the home side struggled to turn their territorial advantage into genuine chances. Adil Aouchiche and Jesper Karlsson combined well on the edge of the area, only for Richards to tip Karlsson's curling effort wide.
Then came the sucker punch. On the half-hour mark, a hopeful ball over the top left Nicky Devlin in a seemingly comfortable position, but Swedish under-21 cap Amar Fatah had other ideas. Pressing Devlin, Fatah dispossessed the defender, left him sprawling on the turf, and coolly cut inside before curling a composed finish past Mitov for his sixth goal of the campaign. The traveling Tangerine Army erupted, sensing another memorable result against their northern rivals.
For Aberdeen, the goal was a bitter pill to swallow. Manager Jimmy Thelin lamented, "We have to chase the game every time and I think this is a thing we have to grow and do better. It’s important inside football to be really sharp in this moment. They need to do more to hurt us when we have so much control of the game. That’s the way forward for us, but of course in the second half still the energy is there." He added, "First of all, we’re in this together and it’s not someone specific, but the goals, everybody knows, we talk about them and it is soft goals. The opponent has to hurt us harder to get something. The only way is to live and experience and learn from these things and improve. We have to be sharper, because today it was from nothing."
Despite their dominance in possession, the Dons' lack of creativity in the final third was evident. Thelin acknowledged as much: "Right now the feeling is not good for anyone because we didn’t win the game. It’s frustration at home. We have to do more work on the training pitch with these crosses and arrive into the box when they play against low blocks and also take more shots. We don’t take the opportunity, we don’t give it to someone else to take the responsibility. When they play like they did, we have to create more scenarios for a scoring chance and overload some areas better."
As the second half got underway, Aberdeen pressed for an equalizer. Captain Graeme Shinnie, making his 400th Premiership appearance—a milestone that places him among the league's all-time appearance leaders—nearly found the net, but Richards was equal to his effort at the near post. Thelin turned to his bench, introducing Kenan Bilalovic and Marko Lazetic just before the hour mark in search of a spark.
The breakthrough finally arrived on the hour. Adil Aouchiche, lively throughout, fired a speculative effort from distance. Richards, who had been solid until then, failed to push the ball clear, and Swedish international Jesper Karlsson pounced, rifling the rebound high into the net for his sixth goal of the season. The home end erupted, but the celebrations were tinged with uncertainty—Karlsson's future at Pittodrie remains unclear, with his parent club Bologna holding the option to recall him as the transfer window opens next week.
Thelin addressed the situation candidly after the match: "As I always say, in the windows we have to wait and see. There have been so many windows, let’s see what’s going to happen when the window is closing. I’m always happy when people are here, but then what happens, let’s see. But I think he’s happy and he’s important for us, but the window is always the window. I think the loan has been beneficial for him. He’s playing a lot and improving, so I think of course he’s happy to be here."
United, for their part, were frustrated to see their lead slip away. Manager Jim Goodwin, returning to Pittodrie, offered a fair assessment: "A draw was relatively fair. Aberdeen were the better team in the opening period and we actually got our goal against the run of play. Fatah scored a really well-taken individual goal, and I was pleased to go in having not played well, leading. The second half was more even but the goal we concede is disappointing as far as we are concerned. Dave Richards has done really well since coming into the team, but he knows that save has to go away from goal rather than back into the danger area and it was a sucker punch at the time."
Both sides had opportunities to snatch all three points in the closing stages. Substitute Kjartan Kjartansson forced Richards into a smart save from distance, while Craig Sibbald fired over for United. But as the final whistle blew, the groans from the home support told the story—Aberdeen's lack of clinical edge at Pittodrie continues to frustrate, while United extended their unbeaten run against the Dons to four games.
Looking ahead, United will face Livingston, hoping to build on their resilience despite a depleted squad, while Aberdeen travel to Hibs, still searching for the home form that could propel them into the upper echelons of the table. With the January window looming and uncertainty swirling around key players, both managers will be eager to turn hard-fought draws into vital victories as the season heats up.
