Source: Telegraph
Wolfsburg 0 Fulham 1; agg 1-3: match report
Whatever happened in Lower Saxony, Roy Hodgson had declared, this was a season of pride. Now that pride will have swelled further. [LNB]Fulham are in the semi-finals of the Europa League, driven there through the power and threat of an exuberant Bobby Zamora, who is playing like a man on a mission. [LNB]Fulham to face HJK Helsinki or FK Vetra in Europa League third roundThat mission may not end with the final of this competition, in Hamburg next month, and Fulham will have to go there in the last four and knock out the Germans first, having defeated the Bundesliga champions here, if they are to do that. [LNB]Zamora in a goalscorers' shoot-out with Ruud Van Nistelrooy? Well, why not. [LNB]But don't think that Fabio Capello isn't aware of Zamora's form, his late run towards international recognition, his 19 goals, his touch and threat and burgeoning self-belief. England may require it also while Hodgson's stock grows at an even greater rate than the striker, the team, he has rehabilitated. Cometh the hour. [LNB]After the crushing disappointment of the Champions League, England now has two sides in the semi-finals of this competition. It may be no great consolation for the Premier League but don't dare mention that to Fulham. [LNB]This is, as their fans sang long and hard, their European tour. This is also this season's football feel-good story. [LNB]The modern arena, an impressive bowl towards the outskirts of this most industrial of towns, wasn't at capacity which apparently had more to do with unfavourable shift patterns at the vast Volkswagen factories that dominate this area by the River Aller, the home of the VW Beetle, than any lack of feeling for the occasion. [LNB]This was, after all, a European quarter-final and one that was nerve-janglingly alive. And what a start. [LNB]From the kick-off Fulham attacked and they gained an instant, remarkable reward with Zoltan Gera shaping to shoot on the edge of the penalty area only to then feint and slide a pass to Zamora whose instant drag-back wrong-footed Jan Simunek on his return from injury before he swept the ball low into the net beyond the dive of Diego Benaglio. Precisely 21 seconds had elapsed. [LNB]Hodgson had spoken about the importance of an away goal. He couldn't have imagined earning one at such an early stage of the contest but such is the confidence coursing through Zamora, who had overcome the pain of a sore Achilles to play, and the belief propelling Fulham on. [LNB]Wolfsburg were vulnerable. Rocked. And soon after, Gera met Damien Duff's cross to bounce a header goalwards - only for Benalgio to tip it away. [LNB]Wolfsburg needed to respond and they certainly carried an attacking threat but it was a horribly loose pass by Danny Murphy, trying to find Paul [LNB]Konchesky on the 18-yard line, that led to a low shot by Christian Gentner which Mark Schwarzer bundled away. Grafite headed the corner over and then, after the Fulham goalkeeper had alertly blocked Andrea Barzagli's fierce drive, the Brazilian turned in the rebound only to be rightly pulled up for offside. [LNB]Those nerves were jangling more. Back came Fulham as they went toe to toe with their opponents. Zamora inadvertently got in the way of Gera's shot and Benaglio spilled Murphy's skimmer. [LNB]Finally there was a lull and a time to re-group. Wolfsburg, for all their attacking potential, were struggling to gain momentum with frustration boiling as Edin Dzeko was cautioned for drilling the ball away in annoyance at conceding a fre-kick. [LNB]The introduction of Ashkan Dejagah made a difference, however, and Aaron Hughes had to quickly step in at the near post to prevent Grafite from reaching his whipped cross while the substitute had Schwarzer scurrying as he threatened to reach another through ball. [LNB]There was greater urgency but, in truth, Fulham were enjoying a degree of control they could not have imagined achieving, their comfort was almost disconcerting against a side which had Dzeko, Grafite and the dangerous and dangerously languid Zvezdan Misimovic. [LNB]Suddenly Wolfsburg broke and Dzeko had a sight at goal, only to be marshalled away by Aaron Hughes as he ran into the area. [LNB]The ball was eventually transferred to Marcel Schafer whose long-range shot was deflected, narrowly, wide with Schwarzer unsighted before Zamora also sprinted through, flicking the ball up, only for Benaglio to deflect it away with an outstretched arm.[LNB]It was then Schwarzer's turn, superbly tipping away Dzeko's volley before, Benaglio denied Simon Davies, from Duff's lob, saving with his legs. But Davies should have scored as should Murphy when, soon after, the ball broke to him from Konchesky's cross only for Barzagli to clear off the line. [LNB]Then Dzeko struck a post, the rebound fell to Grafite and somehow Brede Hangeland back-heeled it out. Fulham would not concede. [LNB]
