BBC SPORT | Football | Uefa Cup | Dons face tough task

Aberdeen manager Ebbe Skovdahl was full of praise for his side after the goalless Pittodrie draw with Hertha Berlin, but admitted the Dons now face a difficult task to reach the Uefa Cup second round.

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The home side dominated for long spells against a depleted Berlin side but seldom looked like making the crucial breakthrough and now head to Germany for the second leg as firm underdogs.

"Every player put in an immense amount of work and we played as well as we possibly could," said Skovdahl.

Aberdeen 0-0 Hertha Berlin

"Derek Young had a great chance in the second half and we had a couple more in the first half but we need to take these chances in Europe because you don't get that many.

"A goalless draw is not really enough for us to pass through to the next stage.

We deserved to win and we had chances to put the tie beyond Berlin's reach

Aberdeen captain Darren Young

"Hertha were favourites before the game and the result will make them even stronger favourites.

"When we go over to Berlin we'll have to be prepared for more pressure against us than we had in this game.

Captain Darren Young remained defiant despite his side's failure to get the breakthrough.

Young said: "I'm absolutely gutted. We deserved to win and we had chances to put the tie beyond Berlin's reach.

"We played magnificently and can take a lot of pride from our performance and we still have a chance in the second leg."

Ebbe Skovdahl watches from the Pittodrie dugout
Skovdahl had high praise for his players
"In Europe there is a difference between playing at home and away and it will be a difficult game for us over there because they have eight or nine regulars to come back which will make them even stronger."

Hertha manager Huub Stevens was happy with the result but refused to say the job had been done.

He said: "With the problems we had with injuries it is a good result for us.

"We worked hard and there was a lot of changes in our team so a goalless draw is okay.

"It is a difficult result in some ways but in Berlin we will have our players back and we will have a better chance. Aberdeen will then play in the counter-attack and it will be important that we watch for that."