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A counter-attacking Colchoneros side got the better of Inter at the Stade Louis II to lift the 2010 UEFA Super Cup.

José Antonio Reyes and Sergio Aguero got their names on the scoresheet in the second half as Atletico made their chances count in European football’s curtain raiser.

With time running out Diego Milito had a penalty kick saved by David De Gea.

Rafael Benitez made one change from the starting XI that won us the Champions League and the Italian Super Cup, bringing in Dejan Stankovic for Goran Pandev.

Quique Sanchez Flores also made a single switch from the team that beat Fulham to win the inaugural Europa League, summer signing Diego Godin replacing Antonio Lopez at the centre of defence.

An evenly-balanced first half saw Samuel head over and Eto’o fire narrowly wide before two good chances for Aguero - one inches off target and the other well wide.

It was more Spain than Italy in the second half as Atletico found more space on the break, and Reyes broke the deadlock on 62 minutes. He combined swiftly with Aguero and rounded Maicon before firing past Julio Cesar at his near post.

Inter reverted to their Champions League-winning lineup with Pandev on for Stankovic and the Macedonian fired against the bar after De Gea had thwarted Milito, but the flag had already been raised for offside.

Another change was needed and Benitez handed brought on Coutinho for Sneijder. (continue reading…)

Dirk Kuyt finally ended uncertainty over his Anfield future after firing Liverpool into the Europa League group stage here last night.

Liverpool were trailing to a fourth-minute strike until an own goal in the 84th minute and a close range finish by Kuyt four minutes later secured a 2-1 win on the night, 3-1 on aggregate.
Kuyt’s agent had claimed he was keen on a move to Inter Milan, but the Holland forward set the record straight by insisting after the match: ‘A lot of people have said a lot of things about my future.

‘For me, it is at Liverpool. I like it here and want to stay and win things.’

It was something Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson welcomed but did not think was necessary.

‘Dirk Kuyt is not for sale so excuse me for not understanding the speculation of being happy now he has said he is staying because I never doubted he was staying,” added the Englishman. (continue reading…)

Liverpool secured a safe passage into the group stage of the Europa League after grinding out a 2-1 win over Trabzonspor in Turkey as Roy Hodgson became the first Reds boss since Bill Shankly to win his first four European games in charge of the club.

The Turkish side drew level 1-1 on aggregate when Teofilo Gutierrez slotted in from a Gustavo Colman shot.
David Ngog headed wide from six yards for the Reds but they got a crucial away goal when Giray Kacar put a Glen Johnson cross into his own net.

Dirk Kuyt completed the win when he slotted in after Daniel Pacheco’s shot had been parried into his path.

Liverpool’s goals came late on in the match as they eventually showed the character to negotiate their way past some awkward opponents.

Trabzonspor had beaten the Reds 1-0 the the first leg of a European Cup tie in the 1976/77 season before the Anfield side overturned the deficit to win the second round tie.
And Liverpool knew it would be a tough task to dispose of the Turkish side who were last beaten at home in December 2009 and had since won eight out of nine at their Huseyin Avni Aker stadium. (continue reading…)

Fulham’s brave bid to lift the Europa League ended in heartbreak as Diego Forlan’s winner deep into extra time gave Atletico Madrid victory at Hamburg’s Nordbank Arena.

The final looked destined for a penalty shoot-out until former Manchester United striker Forlan took advantage of strike partner Sergio Aguero’s persistence to send a deflected finish beyond Mark Schwarzer with only four minutes left.

Forlan poached another close range finish to put Atletico ahead in the first half, but Simon Davies responded swiftly with a volleyed equaliser for Fulham to spark hopes of a first European trophy heading to Craven Cottage.

But Forlan, tormentor of Liverpool in the semi-final, seems intent on making up for his unfulfilling spell at Old Trafford by inflicting pain on Premier League teams every time they cross his path - and how Fulham felt the agony as their players lay on the turf as Atletico celebrated wildly celebrated the decisive goal.
Atletico created the better opportunities in a final short on serious excitement, with Forlan striking a post and Aguero somehow poking wide from almost on the goalline in the first period of extra time. (continue reading…)

The key for Fulham  will be to contain Atletico’s obvious attacking threats, notably Jose Antonio Reyes, Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero. It means that Roy Hodgson will require major midfield performances from Danny Murphy and Dickson Etuhu. Atletico, however, do have a suspect defence and have conceded 57 goals this season in La Liga.

Managers:

Roy Hodgson v Quique Sanchez Flores: With their teams settled in mid-table of the respective domestic leagues, the Europa League has developed into the priority this season from both Hodgson and Flores. Fulham look to have a decisive advantage in the dugout, both in terms of Hodgson’s experience and tactical acumen. Flores has endured domestic disappointment in what is his first season at Atletico following spells with Benfica, Valencia and Getafe.

Key clash:

Diego Forlan v Brede Hangeland: It is his unpredictability than can make Forlan, the former Manchester United centre-forward, so dangerous. His pace and movement are other major assets, as Liverpool found to their cost in the semi-final, meaning Brede Hangeland will need to rely on much more than his commanding aerial presence.

What they are saying:

Atletico coach Quique Sanchez Flores: “They have excellent players. The physical aspect and strategy come together. We have to take some risk but not open ourselves to dead-ball situations. There are many reasons to be optimistic but we have to be careful. And we need to be courageous.”

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson: “If we lose then I hope it means we’ve been beaten by a better team and not that we’ve been very unlucky or been hit by some decisions that are controversial. At the moment we’re planning not to be second best, we’re planning to try and win the competition. Whatever happens it’s been a very good season for us and we’re determined to crown that season by winning the trophy.”

Atletico captain Antonio Lopez: “We have always been a very united team. A few months ago of course we had some difficulties and the results were not the best. But we went through the stages progressively and here we are in the final.”

Fulham’s Danny Murphy: “It’s phenomenal really - Fulham are everybody’s second favourite club at the moment. Maybe that’s because of our spirit and our unusual position this season in that we’ve overcome the odds and beaten so many good teams. I think supporters appreciate good football and, over the course of the competition, we’ve certainly tried to play the right way.”

Probable teams:
Fulham (4-4-1-1): Schwarzer; Pantsil, Hangeland, Hughes, Konchesky; Davies, Murphy, Etuhu, Duff; Gera; Zamora.
Atletico Madrid (4-4-2): De Gea; Valera, Dominguez, Perea, Antonio Lopez; Reyes, Paulo Assuncao, Raul Garcia, Simao; Aguero, Forlan.

ROY HODGSON revealed Bobby Robson will be his inspiration in tonight’s Europa League final with Atletico Madrid in Hamburg.

Fulham’s manager and the ex-England boss were big pals until Sir Bobby’s death from cancer last year.

Robson is the last English manager to win a major European trophy - with Barcelona in 1997. Hodgson said: “To follow a manager like Bobby Robson would be fantastic because, as you know, we were friends for many years.

“He was a great man, a great manager and it would be nice to think I could follow him.”

Robson won the European Cup Winners’ Cup at Barca. Hodgson added: “You work hard to get to a final. You know one of you is going to go smiling and one’s going to leave the field with tears in their eyes.”

Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed flies into Hamburg today for a rare away trip to mark the club’s special night.

Hodgson is nursing striker Bobby Zamora along in the hope his injured striker can start despite an Achilles injury which will require surgery. Damien Duff hopes to have shrugged off a knee injury.

LIVERPOOL’S incredible comeback against AC Milan in the Champions League five years ago is rightly considered as one of the truly great European stories.

But if Fulham beat Atletico Madrid in the Europa League final tomorrow, I’d rate it as an even greater achievement. Truly amazing, in fact.

It would be the ultimate victory for the underdogs and almost all neutrals will be cheering for Roy Hodgson’s team in Germany.

It’s brilliant that at a time when big clubs continue to dominate in the Premier League, a less-fancied team is flying the English flag abroad. It’s so refreshing and it would be nice to have more of the same next year.

Throughout this season, I have looked at Fulham’s results in the competition and thought ‘good win for them, but they’ll get knocked out next round’.

But Fulham have continued to surprise me - and probably themselves - and now they are on the brink of the greatest moment in their history.

What Hodgson has achieved is no fluke. He’s a really good manager and let’s be honest, Fulham don’t exactly have any players with much of a wow factor. (continue reading…)

Former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan earned Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win over Liverpool in their Europa League semi-final first leg. Forlan hit a scrappy winner in only the ninth minute on Thursday night - but the tie is far from over and even without an away goal, Rafael Benitez’s side will be optimistic of overturning the result at Anfield next week.

The Reds missed their injured striker Fernando Torres almost as much as the former darling of the Vicente Calderon missed the chance to face his old club, having also been denied that opportunity in the Champions League last season because of more fitness problems.

Benitez had insisted the 1,200-mile journey by coach, train and eventually plane - after UEFA’s insistence the match go ahead despite the volcanic ash cloud which grounded flights across Europe - had brought his squad closer together.

If only his defence had been tighter-knit in the ninth minute then they may not have conceded.

No one will ever really know whether their exertions in getting to the Spanish capital had an effect but it was a sloppy piece of marking which cost them. (continue reading…)

Liverpool’s  players must sometimes wake up and wonder just how a season that began with such promise has reached the home straight with them playing in the Europa League. When all is said and done, it remains Europe’s second-rate competition.

Nevertheless, Rafael Benitez and his improving team have set about their quest for a consolation prize with admirable zeal in recent weeks and last night’s defeat of Benfica has now made them clear favourites to lift the trophy in Hamburg next month.

For all that they have laboured this season, Benitez’s players have recently shown flashes of the football of which they are capable. It has come far too late to rescue their Barclays Premier League hopes, of course. The team will be hard pushed to finish fourth.

But in Europe they have found a little of their true selves and at a capacity Anfield last night they advanced to a semi-final date with Atletico Madrid on the back of some expansive attacking football.

Victory didn’t come without some anxiety, of course. It seems to be the way with English teams in European competition of late.

Unlike neighbours Manchester United the night before, Liverpool’s carelessness in conceding a goal with 20 minutes left did not lead to the calamity that for a while looked possible as Benfica pressed forwards late in the game. (continue reading…)