Fulham got second half goals from Simon Davies and Zoltan Gera to overcome a one goal deficit to Hamburg, reaching the Europa League final after a 2-1 result on Thursday.
Fulham Defeat Hamburger SV, Advances To Europa League Final
The victory sends the Cottagers through to the May 12 final, which will take place on Hamburger SV’s home ground: HSH Nordbank Arena.
Fulham, coming off a nil-nil draw last week in Hamburg, fell behind in the 22nd minute when HSV striker Mladen Petric gave the visitors a crucial away goal.
Coming off last week’s nil-nil draw in Hamburg, Petric’s goal meant the Cottagers needed two to overcome Hamburg’s away goal, and while HSV became more conservative after their initial goal, Fulham was unable to crack interim coach Ricardo Moniz’s defense before halftime.
Moniz was appointed head coach after Hamburg’s 5-1 loss to mid-table Hoffenheim last weekend in league action, after which former coach Bruno Labbadia was dismissed.
Speculation as to whether the change would help HSV seemed answered with Petric’s goal, but two second half tallies from Fulham - notched in the span of seven minutes - ended Hamburg’s Europa League campaign.
The first came in the 70th minute, when midfielder Simon Davies finished from the middle of HSV’s area, a defensive lapse giving the attacker too much room in front of goal, allowing Fulham to equalize.
A relieved celebration was abbreviated, with the Cottagers still trailing in the tie.
That deficit was quickly erased, with the chaos of a corner kick leading to Gera’s 76th minute goal - the Hungarian collecting a lose ball in front of HSV goalkeeper Frank Rost, getting it out of his feet and into the net before two defenders could close him out.
For Fulham, it is their first major cup final since the 1975 FA Cup, which they lost to West Ham United. It is the Cottagers’ first final of a European tournament, in only their second trip into continental football.
More
See More:
