Aberdeen have came up against Dundee Utd at the semi-final stage on six occasions with the honours even. The Dons successes came in 1985, 1988 and again in 2000. There have also been some painful defeats over the years. Ahead of SemiFinalSaturday we look back at some classic encounters….

League Cup Semi-Finals v Dundee Utd

In the late 70s Aberdeen and Dundee United were starting to challenge regularly for honours. The Dons did very well in the League Cup competition without actually winning it. They even famously played in three finals in one season! The Dons lost a highly controversial League Cup final in 1978-79 to Rangers. The following season in 1979-80, although in the same calendar year of 79, the Dons lost again in the final to Dundee United 3-0 in a replay. In 1980-81 United retained the cup after beating Dundee 3-0 and in 1981-82 Aberdeen and United met at the semi-final stage for the first time. Back then it was a two legged affair, the Dons won 1-0 at Tannadice and were favourites to go through but were well beaten 3-0 in the second leg in what was one of Pittodrie’s more disappointing evenings.

After a period of domination at home and abroad it was Alex Ferguson of all people who had targeted winning the League Cup in 1985;

“It has been the one trophy that has eluded us in my time here, although we have won league titles and European trophies we have never quite made it in the League Cup and that is something we want to put right” was Fergie’s declaration before meeting Dundee Utd in the semi-final.

The format had changed a lot in the competition but the semi-final was still played over two legs on a home and away basis. That helped Aberdeen as they would be guaranteed the bulk of the support in both ties. As reigning League and Scottish Cup holders it was Aberdeen that was the team to beat. In Europe Aberdeen had progressed in the European Champions Cup and were through to the last eight. The Dons had defeated Ayr, St Johnstone and Hearts in a relatively trouble free route to the semi-final of the League Cup. Aberdeen would come up against Dundee Utd with the first leg at Tannadice on 25th September 1985. It had been a hectic spell for Aberdeen but they dominated the game from the outset.

Games between Aberdeen and Dundee Utd had been tough, uncompromising affairs and this one was no different. As Ferguson and McLean locked horns once again it was the wily Fergie that came out on top. After Eric Black headed a John Hewitt cross past McAlpine in 63 minutes, the game was littered with fouls and stoppages. Richard Gough had been given a torrid time of it by Black all night and he was eventually sent off for one foul too many on Hewitt as he raced clear in on goal. Aberdeen eased to a comfortable first leg lead but were mindful that they took a similar lead from Tannadice in 1982 and were undone in the Pittodrie return.

However this was an Aberdeen side that was a lot more resilient and wise to what ever United to throw at them.
At Pittodrie Aberdeen had been almost invincible; add an all-ticket full house and the ingredients were in place for a cracking second leg. Ian Angus came in for the injured Eric Black for the Dons who were playing with supreme confidence. Chances came and gone at both ends with most of them falling to Aberdeen. The first goal was always going to be crucial with the Dons holding the lead from the first game. Hamish McAlpine had been a tough competitor in the past and the United keeper came off second best in a crunching challenge with Frank McDougall. McAlpine manfully soldiered on but he was helpless after 68 minutes when Aberdeen scored to effectively end the tie as a contest. Frank McDougall had been in sensational form all season and he was thriving on the service he received at Pittodrie. John Hewitt was again the provider when his forceful run down the left ended with a low cross that McDougall superbly turned past McAlpine to the delight of a packed Pittodrie.

Aberdeen had showed their class throughout and played out the final minutes with ease as the visiting supporters exited the stadium long before the final whistle. Ferguson was delighted; “We were the better side over the two legs and I was sure if we scored first tonight that we would be comfortable enough. We never really looked like being caught out but until we scored there was always an element of doubt. United battled hard like they always do but we had an edge to our game tonight and it showed.”

Three years later and with Ferguson long gone, it was Alex Smith and Jocky Scott that were in charge of the Dons when they came up against Dundee Utd in the semi-final at Dens Park. Despite the game being played in Dundee, it was Aberdeen that had the bigger support once again in the 18,491 crowd. Aberdeen had been in the habit of doing well in the League Cup in the late 1980’s and when the sides clashed in a one-off tie on 20th September 1988, it was Aberdeen who prevailed once again.

Crucially Aberdeen hit United early when John Hewitt scored in the 2nd minute when he was alert enough in the box after a Jim Bett corner. Dundee United were very strong defensive but they now had to go looking for an equaliser. Aberdeen had been content to hold on and pick off United on the break. It was tactics that suited Aberdeen as the defence was still marshalled superbly by Willie Miller who went on to collect the sponsors’ man of the match award.

Aberdeen made sure of their place in the Hampden final with a second goal in 80 minutes. To rub salt into United wounds it was former Tannadice talisman Davie Dodds, now in the red of Aberdeen who scored the Dons second goal. It was a bitter pill for United to swallow and there was no way back after that. Alex Smith was delighted to take Aberdeen through to his first final; “I thought we were magnificent tonight. The early goal perhaps blew the United game plan out the window as we were comfortable after that. Willie Miller was inspired and he proved tonight what a great leader he is n the field. There is a lot to look forward to and I can’t wait to lead Aberdeen out at Hampden for the final. Our support tonight was fantastic; it was hard to believe that this game was played on United’s doorstep.” 

In 1997 at Tynecastle the Dons lost 3-1, a result which effectively ended Roy Aitken’s time as Aberdeen manager. Dean Windass had scored an equaliser but the Dons could not cope with Robbie Winters who ran riot all evening in Edinburgh.

Season 1999-00 was one of the most fascinating yet frustrating for Aberdeen.

After several years in the doldrums and substantial investment made in the squad, it all changed in 1999 with the appointment of the clubs first foreign coach Ebbe Skovdahl. Aberdeen could do nothing right in the league and ended up in all sorts of trouble at the foot of the league. Despite the dreadful form in the league there was some respite in the domestic cups. After defeating Livingston, Falkirk, and crucially Rangers in the quarter final, the Dons came up against New Firm rivals Dundee Utd at neutral Dens Park on 13th February 2000.

The Aberdeen squad had as cosmopolitan a look about it as it ever had been with no less than seven foreign players in the 13 that were listed to play United. It took a typically opportunist goal from Norwegian international Arild Stavrum to settle the tie which was a bad tempered affair. The late, great Hicham Zerouali was inspired and he weaved his magic all afternoon. Skovdahl had taken Aberdeen through to the final and he repeated that feat in the Scottish Cup later that season.         

In February 2008 the Dons went down in 4-1 to Dundee United at Tynecastle in a season that had brought the excitement of European football back to Pittodrie but in both domestic cups, Aberdeen fell at the semi-final stage, in what were two massively disappointing results. The League Cup semi-final had originally been postponed in Edinburgh due to the weather. History might have been quite different if that game had gone ahead.

Aberdeen v United | Semi-Final Results |

1981-82 Two legged affair. Aberdeen won 1-0 at Tannadice, but lost 3-0 at Pittodrie in the second leg.
1985-86 Two legged affair. Aberdeen won 1-0 at Tannadice at 1-0 at Pittodrie.
1988-89 Aberdeen won 2-0
1997-98 Aberdeen lost 1-3
1999-00 Aberdeen won 1-0
2007-08 Aberdeen lost 1-4