SAD DONS SEE RED MISSED

Jensen sent off as Europa dream is crushed

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ABERDEEN crashed into the Conference League after being blitzed in Bucharest.

The Dons had travelled to the Romanian capital with Europa League group stage dreams.

Those were left in tatters after VAR intervened to give Alexander Jensen a red card and award FCSB a first-half penalty.

The home side netted through captain Darius Olaru and never looked back.

Manager Jimmy Thelin made changes at the interval but they didn’t work and FCSB ran right over the top of the Scottish Cup winners.

They put Aberdeen to the sword thanks to another from Adrian Sut and a second from Olaru in the National Arena.

This was an opportunity missed. FCSB are no great shakes but still ran out worthy winners on the night.

Now the Dons will need to make do with the Conference League group stage, which they were last in two seasons ago.

And they will certainly need to be better than they were in Bucharest if they want to make an impression.

This was Aberdeen's second trip to Romania but it was one to forget. They had previously drawn 2-2 with Arges Pitesti in 1981 but they had already done the damage with a 3-0 win in the first leg at Pittodrie,

The Bucharest side, who made it as far as the last 16 in the Europa League last season, had won just once in their last seven games but came good at just the right time to break Red Army hearts.

The Dons failed to get past Hacken under Barry Robson and now Thelin has fallen at the same hurdle.