What a night. Heartache for Liverpool. A memorable night for Fulham. Thanks for joining me here at JOE.ie. Goodnight.
Full-time: Liverpool 2-1 Atletico Madrid (2-2 agg)
THAT’S IT! Liverpool are out, Atletico are through on away goals to meet Fulham in two weeks time in Hamburg in the final.
Two minutes injury time….is all lost for Liverpool?
Liverpool are running into dead ends and look exhausted…time running out too.
Daniel Pacheco comes on for the Reds. Yossi Benayoun makes way. The 19-year-old has seven minutes to make a difference.
Very strange substitution by Benitez: Degen on for Mascherano! He’s probably been man-of-the-match and a defender takes his place. A less than average one at that.
And they’ve turned around…
Half-time in extra-time: Liverpool 2-1 Atletico (2-2 agg)
Phew, we need to catch our breathe. Be prepared for an exciting final 15 minutes!
GOAL! LIVERPOOL 2-1 ATLETICO (2-2 agg) Forlan
Liverpool defence all over the shop! Has Diego Forlan spoiled the party for the Reds? If it stays like this then Atletico go through with the away goal rule.
Liverpool are looking for more goals…it’s scintillating football.
GOAL! LIVERPOOL 2-0 ATLETICO MADRID (2-1 agg) Benayoun
I think Benitez was about to take Yossi off but what a finish! The all-English final is on now.
Back on at Anfield…
Full-time: Fulham 2-1 Hamburg (2-1 agg)
Fulham are into the Europa League final having been 1-0 down. Fairytale stuff!
Full-time:Â Liverpool 1-0 Atletico Madrid (1-1 agg)
We’re going into extra-time at Anfield!
Nabil El Zhar on for goalscorer Alberto Aquilani.
Hamburg are deflated. I’d be amazed if they could score in the last four minutes. Liverpool and Atletico will surely need more time to settle it.
The clock is ticking and as it stands Fulham are going to Hamburg for the Europa League final while Liverpool may need extra-time to finish off Atletico Madrid.
Jamie Carragher booked and Liverpool are making life a little bit hard for themselves at the moment.
GOAL!!! FULHAM 2-1 HAMBURG (2-1 agg) Gera
Panic for Hamburg. Pandemonium for Fulham. Gera is the man of the moment and has now set up the prospect of an all-English final…IF Liverpool can score again too.
Fulham are throwing the sink, the toaster, the oven and everything else in the kitchen at Hamburg.
GOAL! FULHAM 1-1 HAMBURG (1-1 agg) Davies
There is light at the end of the tunnel for Fulham. Good feet from Danny Murphy, the captain flicked it over the top for Davies who engineered the opportunity for himself and finished expertly. They need another with 20 minutes left.
Yellow card for Valera (Atletico). Babel is electric…they’re on fire and a second goal wouldn’t be a shock to the system whatsoever.
Petric bounces off the gigantic Hangeland. A sheepish yellow card dished out to the centre-half.
Damien Duff almost takes the paint off the post. So unlucky. Clint Dempsey only needed a toe-nail to help it home.
And finally Hodgson has conceded that Zamora can’t continue anymore. Clint Dempsey takes his place.
Forlan, Aguero, Simáo…where have they been all night? Mascherano is pit-bullish as ever tonight but the ‘Pool aren’t creating as much as the first half.
Aquilani booked for a shirt-pull. Ah the sneaky Italians.
Bobby Zamora is not a happy camper out there tonight for Fulham. He’s clearly carrying himself about. Will Roy Hodgson rue the decision to start him, and more to the point – keeping him on the pitch…
Underway again at Anfield and Craven Cottage…
Well the story is, so far, Fulham need two goals to get to the final due to Petric’s phenomenal free-kick which gave Hamburg the away goal. Liverpool, meanwhile, look the business tonight and if they don’t get a second in the next 45 minutes they’ll have extra-time to sort it out, provided they don’t concede an away goal.
Half-times:
Liverpool 1-0 Atletico Madrid (1-1 agg)
Fulham 0-1 Hamburg (0-1 agg)
GOAL! LIVERPOOL 1-0 ATLETICO (1-1 agg) AQUILANI
Lung-bursting run from Benyoun down the right and pin-point cross for Aquilani. Great finish and the Reds fans are singing. Game on now.
Steven Gerrard lets Sergio Aguero know where he is. Yellow card.
If Dirk Kuyt runs any harder his studs will come off his boots.
At Craven Cottage Fulham are flapping about. Hamburg seem to be inspired at the recent sacking of their manager, strange what influences us men.
It’s been a long, long time since we’ve seen Anfield so animated. The fans are on the refs back every 30 seconds or so.
GOAL DISALLOWED…Liverpool’s Daniel Agger was marginally offside when he connected with a header from a Gerrard free-kick, very close call.
A magpie lands in the Atletico Madrid penalty box. Yes a magpie, a bird. The players don’t stop to salute but the omens are good for the ‘Pool.
Spectacular football from Liverpool. Mascherano, Gerard and Kuyt combining and the play was too good to finish with a goal really.
GOAL! FULHAM 0-1 HAMBURG (0-1 AGG) PETRIC
Absolutely stunning free-kick from Petric, at least 35 yards out! Top corner, Schwarzer never had a chance. Oh poor Fulham, they must score twice now.
Raúl Garcia forces Reina to make a good save. Liverpool under the cosh now. The Aquilani gamble isn’t paying off yet…his passing has been abysmal so far.
It’s all calmed down a tad at Anfield. Meanwhile, at Craven Cottage Hamburg coming into it more and more but Fulham surely have a 12th man out there with the fans vocal support – unreal.
Schwarzer is on his toes again tonight for Fulham. He packs a punch with a clearance that Mike Tyson would be proud of.
Brilliant atmosphere at both grounds. Who said the Europa League is mickey mouse stuff? This is the real deal tonight.
Mascherano almost sends Forlan into the stands with a typical cruncher…wow, they really are revved up.
12 seconds in and Benayoun nearly puts the Reds one up!! What an exciting start…Is this the Liverpool we know?
We’re up and running in Liverpool and London….
For Fulham, they’ll depend upon Bobby Zamora to bag them a goal, the Duffer has been quiet lately though so maybe tonight will be his night.
So it looks like Gerrard will hold with Lucas in centre midfield with Aquilani playing off Kuyt up front, Benayoun and Babel on the flanks…but I’m sure that’ll be ever-changing throughout.
Both matches kick-off at 8.05pm….An all-English final? What do you think?
So, Liverpool fans prayers have been answered – Benitez has started Aquilani and somehow has made room for Mascherano and Lucas also. You didn’t think he’d leave the poor lad on the bench, did ya? Click here to read what the fans have been saying about Aquilani.
How they line-up…
Liverpool: Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Mascherano, Lucas, Aquilani, Gerrard, Benayoun, Kuyt, Babel.
Atletico Madrid: De Gea; Valera, Dominguez, Perea, Antonio Lopez, Reyes, Paulo Assuncao, Raul Garcia, Simao, Aguero, Forlan.
Fulham: Schwarzer; Pantsil, Hangeland, Hughes, Konchesky, Etuhu, Murphy, Duff, Davies, Gera, Zamora.
Hamburg: Rost; Aogo, Mathijsen, Boateng, Demel, Pitroipa, Ze Roberto, Jarolim, Tesche, Petric, van Nistelrooy.
Good evening and welcome everyone….JUST IN: Bobby Zamora starts for Fulham. Mascherano plays at right-back for Liverpool. Full teams on the way.
