Read what we learned from Aberdeen’s defeat to Ipswich Town – who looks set to miss Hearts game, cross-ball issues, Keskinen’s energy and Yengi’s frustration.
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin during the Ipswich Town friendly. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson.
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin during the Ipswich Town friendly. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson.
Aberdeen rounded off their pre-season preparations with a 3-1 reverse to English Championship Ipswich Town at Pittodrie – what did we learn about Jimmy Thelin’s side little more than a week out from their Premiership curtain-raiser at Hearts?
The Dons will begin a competitive season where they are guaranteed European league action with a top-flight clash away to the Jambos – now bossed by ex-Reds’ gaffer Derek McInnes – a week on Monday.
A large crowd were at Pittodrie for Kieran McKenna’s side’s visit.
On 28 minutes, Jaden Philogene opened the scoring for the visitors, firing home beyond a helpless Dimitar Mitov after Sam Szmodics crossed through Jack Milne’s legs.
Then, on 39 minutes, George Hirst netted Ipswich’s second, following in for a tap-in after Mitov made a hash of a reasonably-tame Szmodics effort from outside the area.
Ipswich’s Jaden Philogene scores to make it 1-0 during a pre-season friendly match between Aberdeen and Ipswich Town at Pittodrie Stadium, on July 25, 2025.
Ipswich’s Jaden Philogene scores to make it 1-0 during a pre-season friendly match between Aberdeen and Ipswich Town at Pittodrie Stadium, on July 25, 2025.
In the second period, Philogene scored again, sprinting in behind Dons sub Nicky Devlin to net before Ipswich made 11 substitutions at once on 68 minutes.
With 10 minutes left, Peter Ambrose – just on the park – was a perhaps-unexpected Dons scorer, producing a deadly close-range finish after fellow sub Nicolas Milanovic’s shot was blocked on the goal-line.
Two Aberdeen ‘starters’ look very unlikely to face Hearts
While pre-season is a time for rotation, giving players opportunities and so on, by the final bounce game, you would expect to see a rough version of a manager’s first-choice team for the battles to come.
Against Ipswich, Aberdeen fans looked to just about get this.
Thelin started with a 4-2-3-1 – Mitov; Richard Jensen, Milne, Mats Knoester, Graeme Shinnie; Ante Palaversa, Leighton Clarkson; Shayden Morris, Adil Aouchiche, Topi Keskinen; Kusini Yengi.
In picking Aberdeen’s “first-choice” line-up, you could only probably argue for three changes to the team for Ipswich.
While right-winger Shayden Morris was the Dons’ player of the year for last season, most of his impact came from the bench, and Australian marquee signing Nicolas Milanovic will surely start at Hearts, unless there is some fresh niggling issue.
The threat the A-League star-man showed in the second period after being subbed on only served to underline this expectation.
Against Ipswich, there was once again no sign of Latvia skipper, centre-back Kristers Tobers, and summer left-back signing Emmanuel Gyamfi, continuing the pattern of the pre-season matches which has seen the near-£1 million pair remain conspicuous by their absence.
January signing Tobers missed nine matches in the second half of last season with a hamstring problem. It is unclear if he is struggling with a recurrence of the issue or a fresh problem – however, there is surely little to no chance of seeing him at Tynecastle in the right centre-back position occupied by Milne against Ipswich.
Gyamfi, meanwhile – who took pictures with fans on the pitch before Friday’s friendly – has had an injury which has limited his involvement since signing, and it looks like, at Hearts, skipper Graeme Shinnie, at left-back v Ipswich, or Nicky Devlin, will be deputising.
Ipswich’s Azor Matusiwa and Aberdeen’s Graeme Shinnie. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson.
Ipswich’s Azor Matusiwa and Aberdeen’s Graeme Shinnie. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson.
But when will we see Tobers again, or Gyamfi make his Dons debut? The jury is out at the moment.
Experienced midfield general Sivert Heltne Nilsen was included on the bench against Ipswich, in a positive development following his serious training eye injury which almost required an operation last term – and came on in the second half.
Out-of-favour striker Ambrose, meanwhile, who did not attend earlier Cove/Fulham friendlies, instead being sent to play for Aberdeen’s youngsters against Highland League opposition, was a surprise inclusion on the bench. Another fringe forward, Ester Sokler? Not in the squad.
On the subject of the defence, on the evidence of the Ipswich clash, Aberdeen have not yet banished their uncertainty at opposition long and cross-balls, which dogged them last term and cost them a lot of goals during Thelin’s first campaign.
With the caveat it was a pre-season bounce game, and while, ironically, none of Ipswich’s goals came from high balls into the box, but individual errors and raggedness, there was sense of vulnerability every time Town sent a ball into the Reds’ area.
One of those came after just two minutes – a big punt forward sent the visitors’ Leif Davis clean through, and if he had not tried the worst option of attempting to chip Dons keeper Mitov, it would have been a goal.
Scottish Cup penalty save hero Mitov, however, didn’t cover himself in glory at multiple corners, flapping on a few occasions.
Topi Keskinen’s summer of football hasn’t sapped his energy
A more positive learning from Friday’s friendly was the enduring energy of winger Topi Keskinen, despite the Finn having bounced straight from half a season in his homeland with HJK, to a full 2024/25 season with the Dons and then a summer at the under-21 Euros with his country.
Having shone at the tournament for Finland, returning to Aberdeen late as a result, Keskinen, 22, was full of running against Ipswich and one of the Dons’ most lively performers.
Ipswich’s Ben Johnson and Aberdeen’s Topi Keskinen.
His pace looked a concern to the visitors, with keeper Mitov targeting the wideman with long throws on the break – throws which could have been more accurate – on several occasions.
Aberdeen’s only chance of the first period was the result of Keskinen’s industry.
On eight minutes, Alex Palmer in the Ipswich goal made a great close-range stop to block what looked a certain goal from Alexander Jensen after Keskinen had wrestled his way to the byline on the left and crossed.
Inside Pittodrie and among the fans, there will be a real hope Keskinen – an £850,000 signing – can add more assists to his game and take more of the chances his fearsome running in behind brings his way in the new season.
He was wasteful in front of goal at times last term, but still netted six times, with three assists, across all competitions.
Lift those key numbers and it would be huge for Aberdeen’s prospects in the new campaign – and for Keskinen’s undoubtedly significant potential sell-on value.
Yengi must do more to be Aberdeen’s main man
Kusini Yengi before the pre-season friendly match between Aberdeen and Ipswich Town.
Aberdeen fans want their club to sign another striker before the transfer window closes in a month-or-so’s time, and their club are intent on doing so.
Big Australian forward Kusini Yengi, signed from Portsmouth, made his Pittodrie debut on Friday, but it was a frustrating night.
He is a striker in a different mould to former North Macedonian talisman Bojan Miovski and more of a target-man – so he must do target-man jobs well.
Against Ipswich, while certainly a presence, and making one great defensive header, Yengi lost his headed duels in the visitors’ half, while his only real chance to hold the ball in at his feet saw it bounce off him.
He also derailed a promising attack with a misplaced through-ball intended for fellow summer signing Adil Aouchiche.
With forgotten man Ambrose coming on and immediately netting an Aberdeen consolation with his first touch, it may have added to Australia World Cup hopeful Yengi’s frustration.
TEAMS
ABERDEEN: Mitov; Jensen, Milne, Knoester, Shinnie; Palaversa, Clarkson; Morris, Aouchiche, Keskinen; Yengi.
Subs: Milanovic (for Morris 45), Devlin (for Jensen 45), Milne (for Dorrington 64), Nilsen (for Palaversa 64), Kjartansson (for Clarkson 64), Boyd (for Keskinen 64), Polvara, for Aouchiche 88, Ambrose for Uengi, Molloy for Shinnie
Subs not used: Polvara, Suman, Molloy, Ambrose, Lobban.
IPSWICH TOWN: Palmer, Davis, Hirst, Taylor, Johnson, Matusiwa, Szmodics, Greaves, O’Shea, Philogene, J. Clarke.
Subs: H. Clarke, Kipre, Woolfenden, Chaplin, Baggott, Al-Hamadi, Ogbene, Townsend (all 68 minutes).
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