JOE Lewis is convinced finally defeating Celtic at Parkhead has given Aberdeen all the confidence they need to get the better of Burnley and progress to the third round of Europa League qualifying for a fourth successive season.
Andrew Considine’s goal on the final day of last season not only clinched the Dons fourth successive second-place league finish, it also ended a losing sequence of 25 games against the champions on their own ground.
Lewis played his part with a series of important saves and while the former England squad member’s suffering at the venue only extended to a handful of games he feels the club as a whole have overcome a significant psychological hurdle.
“That win against Celtic wasn’t just a big win for us to confirm second place but having lost to Celtic nine times overall previously, it just gave us belief that we can beat big teams.
“It was becoming as much a mental problem for the fans as well as the players. So to go there and get a win, a clean sheet and play the way we did should give us a lot of confidence going into this game against Burnley because, like Celtic, they’ll be tough opposition.
“Is it a bigger challenge than playing against Celtic? It’s hard to say but Celtic get money from the Champions League and compared to what other teams in Scotland get, it’s vast. In the English Premier League every club gets vast amounts of money from TV to spend. Sean Dyche has done a great job at Burnley but all of the clubs down there have got money at their disposal for transfers. It’s about spending it wisely.”
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