Following defeat in Bucharest, Jimmy Thelin pointed to the coming UEFA Conference League as a crucial competition in which his team can both improve and impress.

“Tonight, I think we started the game well and were much more balanced than we were in the last game. We learned something from that game. I was quite happy how the game started. Before the penalty I saw a more mature team, and we were more balanced and controlled the situation much better. We played a really good away game, but after that penalty, the game accelerated in the wrong direction for us.

“There were fine margins very early in the game. Ester had a good chance, it was difficult, but that’s when you need to score to change the dynamic. It’s a play-off game against a good opponent – you saw this how they used their opportunities with the calmness and quality they had to score. We had opportunities but we couldn’t really use them. I think the difference between the teams in these two games is that when we did a mistake, they punished us really hard. When they did a mistake, we couldn’t really punish them in that moment.

“I haven’t watched the penalty again yet, but what I’ve been told it was a tough one.

“It changed the dynamic of the game. We knew we had to win of course, so from then, in the second half we tried to find a balance and give us a chance to get through. But they scored two goals in five minutes and then the game is over in that way.

“It was a play-off and we needed to score two goals to get through. We had a plan to get some transitions but then we missed two build-ups. The punishment took five minutes. We have to find this rhythm as a team and this calmness as a team in these important moments. I think the best way is to be in Europe and learn from this. That’s how you grow as a team. I think every player, myself and my staff, can answer what we need to do better today. I think that’s something we have to show in the next games.

“The only way to get better is to be here at this level and learn to find this calmness as a team. It’s disappointing but now we have the Conference League for this team to grow in. We always want to prove ourselves, but in this game, against this level of opponent, we were not really ready. Now we have time to improve our performance and get better results in the Conference League.

“Over two games we lost, but I think it was a tight, quite good performance today. They were more skilful when the moments arrived and that’s where we can improve ourselves for the next coming games.”

Shayden Morris was not part of the Aberdeen line-up this evening, as the Manager explained afterwards.

“Let’s see what tomorrow brings, but there was a strong interest in Shayden from another club late last night. We had a good talk, me, Shayden and the club and we felt that the distraction was too strong for him to perform today, so he was allowed to travel to see more about it.”