Atletico Madrid 2-1 Fulham (after extra time)
Sergio Aguero and Luis Perea
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By Matt Hallam. |  |
Wednesday, 12, May 2010 10:22
By Sam Ross.
Fulham's European adventure came to a bitter end after Diego Forlan snatched an extra time winning goal to win the Europa League for Atletico Madrid in Hamburg.
The former Manchester United front man, who helped to knock Liverpool out of the semi-finals, scored twice to give his side a famous and long-awaited European victory.
Atletico proved a scalp too far for Fulham who have enjoyed a remarkable European journey under the guidance of LMA manager of the year Roy Hodgson. But will leave the Hamburg Arena devastated along with 12,400 travelling fans from west London.
The Spanish side's last European triumph came in 1962 when they won the Cup Winners Cup and the team that has for so long been in the shadow of neighbours Real Madrid have a trophy of their own to take back to the 'people's club' of Madrid.
They took the lead thanks to Forlan just after the half hour mark. But it didn't last long as Simon Davies equalised for the Cottagers five minutes later before Forlan scored the winner in extra time.
Atletico began the game the more positive and confident of the sides with Fulham looking a little nervous and slightly edgy.
Raul Garcia Escudero fired the first early warning inside six minutes but thankfully for Fulham midfielder Zoltan Gera was on hand to block the ball away for a corner.
The nervy start for Fulham continued and Atletico should have taken the lead with 11 minutes played. Fulham captain Danny Murphy cheaply gave the ball away to Jose Antonio Reyes in midfield and the former Arsenal man took advantage, sliding the ball in between the Fulham defence to Forlan. But the Uruguayan's left footed effort which had beaten Mark Schwarzer struck the post leaving a very relieved Murphy.
Atletico were allowed another effort on goal when Dixon Etuhu poorly gave a free kick for a tackle from behind on Tomas Ujfalusi. With Reyes and Simao standing over the ball 30 yards out there were many worried Fulham fans but Schwarzer did well to read Reyes curling left footed strike heading for the top left corner.
Fulham's first chance came in the 17th minute when Paul Konchesky floated the ball into the area for Bobby Zamora who nodded the ball back to Gera on the edge of the area but the Hungarian was unable to control his volley - smashing it high over the crossbar.
The 20th minutes saw Davies give 19-year-old Atletico goalkeeper David de Gea a taste of what to come as he cracked a volleyed effort goalwards. But the young Spaniard, who has been included in Spain's provisional 30 man World Cup squad, did superbly well to pluck Davies' rasping drive out of the air.
Mid-way through the first half Atletico and more specifically Sergio Aguero continued to threaten the Fulham backline and the Argentinean produced a fine piece of skill to skip past Aaron Hughes and Chris Baird and whip in a dangerous cross. But thankfully for Fulham towering centre half Brede Hangeland was on hand to sweep the ball away from the lurking Forlan.
Just after the half hour mark though, Forlan did manage to hand his side the lead, with a goal that contained a touch of fortune. The Atletico striker side footed home an Aguero volley after Reyes had done well down the right wing before cutting infield.
The Spanish winger played in Simao who flicked the ball to Ageuro. The 21-year-old then set himself up for a volley which fumbled Forlan's way.
Forlan, who scored in each of the legs against Liverpool in the semi-final, looked offside as he slotted the ball past Schwarzer. But as the replay confirmed it was a very difficult decision for the assistant to give with Forlan's feet level but his head offside.
But Fulham responded five minutes later thanks to Davies, who previously scored the Cottagers' first goal in their 2-1 semi final second leg win over Hamburg after going a goal down. The Welshman found himself unmarked at the back post to strike home a Gera cross that had been flicked on by Paulo Assuncao.
With Fulham in the ascendancy for the first time in the game they were some what reluctant to head into the dressing room at half time.
But they started the half just as they ended the second in what appeared a role reversal of the opening minutes of the first half.
The early pressure nearly paid off when in the 50th minute Murphy split the Atletico defence with a beautiful weighted ball to Gera but the Hungarian's first touch let him down as the ball raced away from him.
Ten minutes after the restart Zamora, who had been struggling all game with his Achilles injury that nearly saw him miss tonight's game altogether was withdrawn and replaced by Clint Dempsey.
With half an hour remaining Davies was gifted with a great opportunity to double his and Fulham's tally when the ball ricocheted his way seven yards from goal. His powered shot was turned away well by the legs of De Gea.
Damien Duff on the other wing had a chance to give Fulham the lead when he drifted inside looking to get a shot away reminiscent of his goal against Everton in the Premier League this season. But this time unfortunately the Irishman dragged his shot wide of the Atletico goal.
The Spanish side failed to really test Schwarzer in the Fulham goal bar a tame Ageuro free kick in the 74th minute and a Garcia shot that drifted harmlessly wide in the 87th minute.
As the game entered injury time Aguero looked, at first, to have won his side a penalty but on second viewing Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli, who enjoyed a good game, once again made the right call.
With both sides having made two substitutions throughout the match the game entered extra time where we would see who is the fitter as well as the better of the two sides.
Fulham got off to the better start when Davies pulled a shot wide within minutes of the restart. Erik Nevland, a late second half substitute for Duff, was perhaps the fittest player on the pitch and his run and cross was a pace ahead of his teammates with no one able to latch on to the end of it in the 96th minute.
But it was Schwarzer who had to be the most aware of both keepers towards the end of the first half of extra time as Atletico went inches from snatching the lead.
Forlan rounded Baird easily down the left before cutting the ball back past Schwarzer and found its way to Aguero but the 21-year-old failed to slide the ball into the net from close range - missing the left hand upright by a matter of inches.
The second half of extra time contained limited chances with both sides not prepared to risk going forward and being caught on the break
But Atletico snatched the winner five minutes from time when Forlan netted his team's dramatic winning goal. Unsurprisingly it was assisted by the impressive Aguero who with Aaron Hughes standing off him crossed the ball towards Forlan. The Uruguayan stepped in front of his marker, Hangeland, to touch the ball past Schwarzer via a deflection off the back of the tall Norwegian defender.