Uefa Conference League: Aberdeen v Noah
Venue: Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen Date: Thursday, 27 November Time: 20:00 GMT
Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio Scotland Extra & Sounds, live text commentary on the BBC Sport app and website
It is fitting Aberdeen's next Conference League opponents Noah take their name from the Biblical character - because Jimmy Thelin's side are in need of divine intervention if they are to reach the knockout stages.
A point in Larnaca last time got them off the mark, but such was the scale of their 6-0 defeat against AEK Athens, the Scottish Cup holders face an uphill task to reach the next round given their goal difference is the joint worst in the 36-team league.
With Strasbourg, fifth in Ligue 1, and Sparta Prague, second in the Czech First League, to come, seven points are probably required from three games.
That means Noah must be defeated on their first ever visit to Scotland.
But who are they? And how big a threat will they pose to Aberdeen?
Noah were only founded in 2017 and have had a nomadic existence in their first eight years as a club.
They have changed name, moved city and stadiums multiple times and also changed owner on three occasions.
Currently based in Abovyan, just to the north of Armenia's capital Yerevan, they are now under the stewardship of businessman Vardges Vardanyan, who has accelerated their success with his investment since 2023.
Last season they won the title for the first time and won the Armenian Cup, too. But arguably more impressive was their run in European football.
Noah became the first team ever to reach the league phase of the Conference League having started from the first qualifying round.
They even dumped out AEK Athens along the way.
In the competition itself they were beaten 8-0 by eventual winners Chelsea, but other than that were competitive and garnered four points.
Vardanyan's stated vision is to "establish a competitive club with a distinctive identity and presence on the European football map".
Plans for a 20,000-seater stadium and youth academy are being put into action.
He has drawn on the input of Luis Figo along the way as he counts the former Real Madrid and Barcelona superstar among his advisors.
Noah are a club on the up and getting back into the Conference League again has only cemented that sense.
After falling in the Champions League and Europa League qualifiers, a convincing 7-3 aggregate victory over Slovenian champions Olimpija Ljubljana got them back into Uefa's third-tier competition, where they have done well so far.
Already they have four points after a 1-0 win over Croatia's Rijeka, a 1-1 draw with Romania's Universitatea Craiova and a 2-1 defeat by Czech side Sigma Olomuc.
The squad is technically sound and strong going forward, having scored in 10 of their 11 European matches this season.
Foreign imports make up 15 of the 24 players in their European squad.
Brazilian forward Matheus Aias and Portuguese winger Helder Ferreira bring quality in the final third, having scored 11 goals between them this season. Aias got 19 in total last term and seven in the Conference League alone.
Bosnian striker Nardin Mulahusejnovic has netted seven this season, including one in each of their three league phase matches so far, and will be a strong presence in the box.
However, it is still Aberdeen's best chance of a victory. Noah have won just twice away from home all season and have just one victory in their past seven matches.
Despite a strong start to the season, their poor run recently means they are down in fifth place as they attempt to defend their Armenian Premier League title.
Aberdeen, meanwhile, are unbeaten in four games and on their best form of the season, and must use home advantage and momentum.
The Old Testament says Noah's Ark landed on Mount Ararat, which dominates the Yerevan skyline from its position just over the border in Turkey.
Those ties prompted the name change from Artsakh to Noah FC in 2019.
Aberdeen's miracle quest for European knockout football starts now.

11 hours ago
2
















































