Aberdeen’s recent resurgence hit a dramatic roadblock as they faced their most significant loss in European competition history.

Fresh off climbing out of the Premiership’s bottom spot with consecutive victories against Dundee and St Mirren, Jimmy Thelin’s squad arrived in the bustling streets of Athens with high spirits.

However, their optimism was swiftly dashed in a roaring OPAP Arena, as a dominant AEK Athens crushed Aberdeen’s ambitions of securing their first points in the Conference League.

Even after the halftime whistle, AEK maintained their upper hand, leaving the disheartened Reds languishing at the bottom of the standings, without points and a daunting goal difference of minus seven.

This defeat surpasses Aberdeen’s previous European setbacks, including a 4-0 loss to Liverpool in 1980 and heavy 5-1 losses to Bayern Munich and Sigma Olomouc in 2008 and 2009, respectively.

The Aberdeen players look crestfallen after conceding a fifth goal in 6-0 defeat in Athens

Dons manager Jimmy Thelin is helpless as his team crash to a record European defeat

The Aberdeen players ended up chasing shadows on a tough night for the Pittodrie club

Manager Thelin took responsibility for the defeat but told the BBC: ‘I think sometimes you have to say that the opponent was really good.

‘We felt prepared before the game to put in a better performance but every time we lost the ball they hurt us.

‘There were a lot of things that didn’t work so we have to learn from this game as a collective, as a coaching team, as a manager, and as individuals.

‘Losing 6-0 is a lot and it’s really tough to manage because we saw how many Aberdeen fans were there.

‘I am the manager, of course I take responsibility. It’s my job to help the players cope in this context. Now it’s a lot of emotions, but when everything calms down we have a lot of things to learn from this game. We win and we lose together.’ 

The Swede had made two changes to the side who started in Paisley last Saturday as Topi Keskinen and Marko Lazetic replaced Gavin Molloy and Kevin Nisbet, while former Livingston and Hearts left-back James Penrice started for AEK.

The visitors looked the more threatening side in the opening 10 minutes. Jesper Karlsson looked particularly lively as he fizzed a free-kick just wide from 30 yards.

But the wind was soon removed from their sails when AEK went ahead in the 11th minute as Aboubakary Koita stepped away from Graeme Shinnie and fired a low left-footed strike across goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov and into the far corner from just outside the box.

The Dons completely lost their way thereafter as the Greeks turned the screw.

Defender Filipe Relvas headed against a post from a Penrice free-kick before the home side doubled their lead in the 18th minute.

It came from a counter-attack after Dons pair Stuart Armstrong and Karlsson had both turned down what looked like decent shooting opportunities.

Koita slotted an angled shot beyond Mitov from just outside the six-yard box after being fed by Lazaros Rota.

AEK’s third came in the 27th minute when Niclas Eliasson produced a cool finish from 10 yards after the Greeks stole possession on the edge of the box from Jack Milne, who had been put in trouble by a needlessly risky pass from Mitov.

Aboubakary Koita celebrates after giving AEK Athens the lead in the 11th minute

Dereck Kutesa slots home the sixth and final goal in a humiliating night for Aberdeen

A worrying moment for Aberdeen as a grounded Nicky Devlin receives treatment

In a desperate effort to stem the bleeding, Thelin responded by replacing Keskinen – who had been playing left wing-back – with centre-back Alfie Dorrington and switching from 3-4-3 to a 5-3-2 formation.

Keskinen was clearly unhappy at coming off so soon and appeared to remonstrate with someone from the bench.

Ultimately, the change made little difference, with AEK spurning no less than five great chances to stretch their lead further before the interval.

Boos were audible from the 1,600-strong travelling support at half-time, and Thelin made a double change for the start of the second half as Dante Polvara and Ante Palaversa came on for Shinnie and Adil Aouchiche.

However, AEK kept up their dominance after the break and Razvan Marin produced an acrobatic close-range finish in the 55th minute after Frantzdy Pierrot’s effort rebounded off a post.

Further goals in the closing 10 minutes from substitutes Luka Jovic, who outfoxed Mitov from six yards, and Dereck Kutesa, who went clean through and finished clinically, completed a humiliating evening for the Dons and brought fresh pressure on Thelin.

This European adventure is becoming something of a nightmare, and improvements have to be made before they travel to Cyprus to play Larnaca in a fortnight.