Fulham 2 Wolfsburg 1: Late Madlung strike blows steam out of Duff

02 April 2010 01:59
After knocking out UEFA Cup-holders Shakhtar Donetsk and two-time European champions Juventus, it was the turn of the German champs to be brought down to size at Craven Cottage. [LNB]A European campaign that started in Lithuania on July 30 and has included stops in Russia, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Italy and Ukraine, passed its 15th game last night as Wolfsburg became Fulham's latest victims. [LNB]This quarter-final may have lacked the glamour of the last-16 tie against Juventus, but Wolfsburg came into this competition from the Champions League, where they were third in a group containing quarter-finalists CSKA Moscow and Manchester United. [LNB] Bang on target: Damien Duff celebrates after beating Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio with a brilliant finish for Fulham's second[LNB] And how Fulham needed a result to lift their season. That memorable4-1 win against Juventus a fortnight ago is their only victory in theirlast nine games and they have been stuck on 38 points in the BarclaysPremier League since February 28. [LNB]A campaign that has passed its 52nd game - already seven more than last season - deserves a better finale. [LNB]Calm it: Zamora gets a lecture from Fulham skipper Danny Murphy[LNB]It was Bobby Zamora who broke the deadlock after 59 minutes. Thein-form striker, who missed training on Thursday with a severe cold,brought down a cross-field ball from Zoltan Gera, knocked it inside anddispatched a left-foot strike into the bottom corner for his 18th goalof the season. [LNB]Damien Duff made it 2-0 four minutes later. Paul Konchesky's passfrom the left wing found Zamora, who held off his man to slip the ballto Duff in space on the edge of the penalty box. The Irishmanconfidently fired past goalkeeper Diego Benaglio to complete awonderful passing move. [LNB]Duff is enjoying something of a renaissance. Roy Hodgson, Duff'sfirst manager at Blackburn, has re-ignited a career that stalled underJose Mourinho at Chelsea and floundered at Newcastle. [LNB]The 31-year-old was incredulous not to be awarded a penalty in the78th minute after a challenge by Andrea Barzagli and was a willingoutlet on the right wing for Fulham all evening. [LNB]Zam's slam: Zamora blasts the Fulham into the lead over the German side with a terrific strike[LNB] But Alexander Madlung spoiled the celebrations by clinching a vitalaway goal for Wolfsburg with an unstoppable header from ZvjezdanMisimovic's cross in the 89th minute. [LNB]MATCH FACTS FULHAM (4-4-1-1): Schwarzer 6; Davies 6, Hughes 6, Hangeland 6, Konchesky 7; Duff 8, Murphy 5 (Baird 87min), Etuhu 6, Dempsey 5; Gera 6; Zamora 7.Booked: Zamora.[LNB]WOLFSBURG (4-4-2): Benaglio 6; Pekarik 6 (Martins 74, 5), Madlung 7, Barzagli 6, Schafer 6; Josue 7, Riether 5, Gentner 6 (Dejagah 84), Misimovic 5; Dzeko 6, Grafite 5. Booked: Madlung.[LNB]Man of the match: Damien Duff.Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia). [LNB]Hodgson said: 'When you're so close to a famous 2-0 victory, thatlate goal puts a slight dampener on the display, but it shouldn'treally. [LNB]'Once again, at this very late stage of the season, we came out andgave a really good performance against the German champions.' [LNB]For the second game in a row, Hodgson sprang a surprise with hisselection. After making six changes before the 2-0 defeat by Hull Cityon Saturday - prompting threats of a complaint from struggling West Ham- he made five more last night, accommodating Simon Davies, Duff andClint Dempsey in an attacking line-up that encouraged width. [LNB]Just as he did in the last 20 minutes of the second leg againstJuventus, Davies switched to right back, with Duff ahead of him andDempsey on the left. [LNB] Late blow: Alexander Madlung heads a vital away goal for Wolfsburg at the death[LNB]Fulham manager Hodgson is fast becoming the new 'Tinkerman' ofLondon - although West Ham will not feel the need to complain to thePremier League on this occasion. [LNB]Hodgson said: 'I don't think West Ham should be picking our team.When the complaint comes in I will answer it, but my conscience isperfectly clear. [LNB]'I can't understand that, if you've got a squad of players with thatsort of depth, it's not allowed to change things around. (On Sundayagainst Wigan) I will pick a team that I think is capable of winning.' [LNB]If Hodgson's changes were designed to counter Wolfsburg's relativelynarrow midfield diamond, with the diminutive Josue at its base, it tookFulham's wingers a while to get going. [LNB]Ironically, with so many wide men on display, it was a move straightdown the middle that provided their first opportunity to break thedeadlock when Gera's shot was nearly spilt by Benaglio after 22minutes.[LNB]Look who's back: Former Newcastle striker returns to English soil with Wolfsburg [LNB] [LNB]Dickson Etuhu then headed a Duff corner over the bar after 41minutes before Dempsey wasted the best chance of the first half,skewing a right-foot shot wide after a weaving run from Duff. [LNB]But Wolfsburg, currently ninth in the Bundesliga, are not short ofgoals themselves. The German side have scored 52 goals in 28 leaguegames this season, conceding just one fewer. Highly rated striker EdinDzeko, a target for the likes of AC Milan, Manchester United, Arsenaland Chelsea, led the line alongside powerful front man Grafite, who waspreferred to former  Newcastle United striker Obafemi Martins. [LNB]  Dzeko, a Bosnia and Herzegovina international, who was a doubt forthe match after sustaining a knee injury in training on Monday, misseda golden opportunity to put Wolfsburg ahead after 50 minutes when hefailed to capitalise on a rare missed header from Brede Hangeland. [LNB]Wolfsburg manager Lorenz-Gunther Kostner said: 'We scored one goaltoo few but we have got that goal behind us. I wouldn't say we werefavourites but it was important we scored that goal.'[LNB] Europa League Live: How Thursday's action unfoldedWest Ham at war with Hodgson: Legal threat over Fulham playing reservesFULHAM FC

Source: Daily_Mail