Rampant Dons progress

Smith lit up a tight contest with a superb 25-yard strike two minutes into the second half and soon ran beyond a static defence to make it 2-0.

The Danes folded and an own goal by Mikael Antonsson and Richard Foster's strike rounded off a memorable night at sold-out Pittodrie.

Aberdeen needed their first win in the competition this season to pip Copenhagen to third place in Group B and continue their best run in Europe since they reached the European Cup quarter-finals in 1986.

Aberdeen were in need of inspiration and Smith provided it 90 seconds after the restart when his first-time strike from 25 yards swerved into the top corner after Lee Miller had won a high ball.

Smith doubled the lead in the 55th minute when he ran onto Miller's lob over the top and fired into the bottom corner with his left foot.

Smith should have netted his hat-trick in the 65th minute after Michael Hart had won the ball in the Copenhagen half and threaded him through but he shot wide with only Jesper Christiansen to beat.

But the game was beyond Copenhagen when Antonsson turned Miller's low cross into his own net as Smith waited to pounce.

Ailton struck the post after a good run from Libor Sionko but Aberdeen were in command and Foster made it four with eight minutes left when he converted fellow sub Chris Maguire's low cross at the back post.