Celtic showed no signs of a hangover from the agony of Turin - but were somehow unable to break down the Aberdeen defence in a goalless first half at Parkhead.

Martin O'Neill chose to freshen up his side and left out Joos Valgaeren, Neil Lennon, Didier Agathe and Chris Sutton.

Into the team came Olivier Tebily, Momo Sylla, Bobby Petta and John Hartson, who was still to get his first goal for the club.

Aberdeen manager Ebbe Skovdahl also decided to make sweeping changes with David Preece, Roberto Bisconti, Ben Thornley, Eugene Dadi and Derek Young all dropping out.

Despite last week's victory over Dundee United, the Dane selected a more defensive side.

He handed youngster Fergus Tiernan his debut, while Ryan Esson, Darren Mackie, Thomas Solberg and Hicham Zerouali also came in.

The Aberdeen fans cruelly reminded Celtic of their Turin torment when the game got underway with a chant of 'one Amoruso'.

But Celtic reacted in the way they know best by trying to carve the opposition's defence open.

Bobo Balde attempted to pick out Henrik Larsson with a downfield ball, but the Swede just failed to get on the end of it.

Aberdeen keeper Esson almost gifted Celtic the opening after just two minutes when he spilt a cross from Sylla, but made amends by saving Stilian Petrov's shot at the expense of a corner.

Space opened up for Tebily, in the fifth minute, to try a shot and his fierce right-foot effort flew just past the post.

But Aberdeen were on the back foot and Phillip McGuire gave away a free-kick after bringing down Larsson.

The defender had to be spoken to by referee Mike McCurry and the wall stopped Petrov's shot from troubling Esson.

Moments later and McGuire knocked the ball into Larsson's pass and Esson had to save by his post.

Aberdeen had Mackie to thank in the 11th minute for keeping his side on level terms when Hartson rose to head Thompson cross on target, but the youngster was on hand to head clear.

The Dons immediately tried to hit the home side on the attack, but Paul Lambert's challenge thwarted Zerouali after Sylla had misjudged the bounce just inside his own half.

The Celtic fans were screaming for a penalty a minute later when Petta's cross was blocked by Kevin McNaughton, but Zerouali gave Celtic a scare seconds later when his long-range shot flashed just past the post.

But Aberdeen almost went behind again in the in the 15th minute, but this time Darren Young was on the line to block Hartson's header again, from Thompson's corner.

A minute later and Esson saved a deflected effort from Thompson after Hartson had made a mess of a Sylla cross.

Sylla, in only his second start for Celtic since his move from St Johnstone, went on a mazy run in the 22nd minute, but was stopped by Derek Whyte on the edge of the box.

Celtic had been sunk by a dive in midweek and Zerouali went down theatrically after a good tackle from Sylla, but amazingly it was ignored.

But Thompson should have put the champions in front in the 25th minute after Sylla's persistence but the midfielder headed Larsson's cross past the upright with Esson well beaten.

Aberdeen's five-man defence was continuing to frustrate the Celtic side and fans, but they let out their anger in the 29th minute when Jamie McAllister was booked for a reckless challenge on Sylla.

Aberdeen looked dangerous on the break and after 32 minutes Douglas had to come out to clear Mackie's threatening cross with Winter lurking ominously.

But the visitors were living on the edge and a mixture of luck and a great save from Esson saved them two minutes later.

Larsson squared the ball to Thompson to crack a left-foot drive which the keeper saved to his left, but he was still on the floor when Petrov's right-foot effort whistled past the post.

But it was the Swedish striker's turn to go agonisingly close in the 38th minute when Sylla's curling cross came to him at the far post, but his stretching header came back off the post.

Larsson should have done better two minutes before the break when space opened up for him in the area, but he got caught in two minds and chipped into the hands of a grateful Esson.