Celtic were strong favourites to beat Aberdeen at Hampden yesterday but nobody predicted the nature in which it would happen.
The Dons suffered their first defeat in any competition since new manager Jimmy Thelin was appointed in the summer and it came in a crushing manner, shipping six to a relentless Hoops side.
It kills their hopes of a piece of silverware in the Premier Sports Cup but also displayed an unfortunate gulf with the side they hope to mount a title challenge against.
Put in context, though, it comes off the back of a draw away from home against the same opposition and a win over Rangers so they will hope to prove the hammering was a one off.
Thelin wants Aberdeen to learn from Cetic thumping
Up next for Aberdeen are winnable games at home to Dundee and away to St Mirren.
Thelin wants his side to quickly move on from yesterday but also use it as a learning curve as they continue to grow under him early in his tenure.
The Swede admits things unraveled for them and he could only watch as the game got away from his men but insists he knows how to fix the things than went wrong.
He said: “Celtic performed really well but we’ll take learning points from this game. Sometimes football can be like this. When things start to go wrong, it can go wrong quickly and we couldn’t find a way back today.
“The game got away from us because of their quality and we have things to improve on for the future so we can keep growing.
“We want to be in this situation. Playing important games at Hampden, being in Europe and being strong in the league. We want to cope with this intensity.”
Aberdeen reaction important
A sore defeat it may have been but it is still only one result and one competition.
The most important thing for Thelin now is ensuring his side maintain their focus when they return to league action against the Dee at Pittodrie.
He may even learn more about them in their response to the first sign of adversity than he has during that winning run.
“Of course I’m not happy after losing 6-0 in a semi-final. But we’re out. The game is over and the most important thing is how we act after a setback,” he said as reported by the Daily Record.
“How we work tomorrow and prepare for our next game. How we keep strength in our identity and don’t lose our belief. I feel that’s still strong
“When you’re winning it can be easy. But when you have tough times, it’s important how you act. I don’t want any excuses today. We have to get used to this environment.
“I’m confident we’ll respond in the right way. Our identity is clear. We can’t let one setback hurt us in that way. It’s only one game, not the whole season. We have to move on.”