EUROPA LEAGUE:ZOLTAN GERA believes Fulham have created a fortress at Craven Cottage and it can give them the edge in their attempt to make further inroads in the Europa League.
Everyone connected with the club remained on a high after Thursday’s 4-1 home win over Juventus, which secured a 5-4 aggregate last-16 triumph, not least Gera, who scored twice in the fightback that has been hailed as the club’s finest of all time.
Roy Hodgson, the manager, is keen for the players to remain grounded, ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League home game against Manchester City, yet the excitement of Europe continues to bubble. Fulham’s reward for their dismissal of Juventus is a quarter-final against the German champions, Wolfsburg.
“It was an unbelievable night,” said Gera, who missed the post-match celebrations in the dressingroom because he had been selected for doping control. “I think Juventus were a little bit unsettled and put off by the ground. Craven Cottage is not a big stadium. The fans are very close to the pitch, so much closer than you see elsewhere, especially at Italian stadiums.”
Fulham have claimed some notable scalps at home this season, including Manchester United and Liverpool, but the victory over Juventus, particularly as they had fallen 1-0 behind on the night, topped the lot. “There’s just something about playing at the Cottage,” said Clint Dempsey, who scored the winning goal with a breathtaking chip. “You always want to do special things in your career and I think we are on another step to something very memorable.”
Wolfsburg represent testing opposition. “They had a fantastic season last year,” said Hodgson, “and (Edin) Dzeko and Grafite cleaned up in the Bundesliga; they scored about 50 goals between them.
“This year, things haven’t gone quite so well. They lost their coach Felix Magath to Schalke. I think this is a meeting of two similar clubs.”
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is wary of the threat posed by Benfica having previously been dumped out of Europe by them. Four years ago the Portuguese side ended the Reds’ hopes of becoming the first side to win back-to-back Champions League titles when they lost 3-0 over two legs.
Benfica are currently three points clear of Braga at the top of the Portuguese Liga and Benitez will not underestimate their last-eight opponents, who include among their ranks Pablo Aimar, who Benitez managed at Valencia.
“We know they are a good team and, of course, we have played them before in the Champions League,” said the Liverpool manager. “They are a massive club with a lot of support from their fans and it will be a tough game.”
Guardian Service
The draw
Quarter-finals
Fulham v Wolfsburg
Hamburg v Standard Liege
Valencia v Atletico Madrid
Benfica v Liverpool
The first legs will be played on April 1st with the second legs on April 8th.
Semi-finals
Hamburg/Standard Liege v Fulham/Wolfsburg Valencia/Atletico Madrid v Benfica/Liverpool.
The first legs will be played on April 22nd with the second legs on April 29th.
