Unfashionable Fulham stunned mighty Juventus to reach the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday, where they were joined by seasoned campaigners Liverpool.
Fulham, 3-1 down from the first leg in Turin, staged a stunning fightback to clinch a 4-1 victory on the night against nine-man Juventus for a 5-4 aggregate triumph.
Roy Hodgson’s Premier League side’s European adventure looked over when David Trezeguet gave Juventus an early lead at Craven Cottage, but Bobby Zamora’s strike gave the hosts hope and, after Juve’s World Cup winning defender Fabio Cannavaro was sent off, Zoltan Gera struck twice to draw Fulham level on aggregate.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Juventus, twice European champions, gave a dismal display and US forward Clint Dempsey came off the bench to score a superb late winner, before Jonathan Zebina was dismissed for kicking Damien Duff.
“I’m on top of the world,” 62-year-old Hodgson said. “I don’t know if it is the biggest night in the club’s history, but it must come close.”
Fernando Torres struck twice as Liverpool stormed back to overturn a first-leg deficit against Lille and book their place in the last eight at Anfield.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Steven Gerrard marked his 300th appearance as captain by leveling the scores on aggregate from the penalty spot in the ninth minute.
Torres’ first goal in European competition this season doubled his side’s lead early in the second half, before the Spanish striker made it 3-0 in the last minute. The 3-1 aggregate success keeps Liverpool’s season alive as Rafael Benitez’s stuttering side battle to avoid a fourth successive season without winning silverware.
David Villa hit a hat-trick as Benitez’s former club Valencia drew 4-4 at Werder Bremen to ensure the Spanish club a pklace in the quarter-finals on the away-goals rule after the tie finished 5-5 on aggregate.
Benfica won the battle of the former European champions with a 2-1 victory at Olympique Marseille for a 3-1 aggregate victory, with Alan Kardec hitting a 90th-minute winner on the night.
Belgium’s Standard Liege also went through, with Dieudonne Mbokani scoring in first-half stoppage-time for a 1-0 win over Panathinaikos for a 4-1 aggregate win.
Anderlecht were unable to make it two Belgian sides in the last eight despite beating Hamburg SV 4-3. The German side went through 6-5 on aggregate.
Fernando Torres’ former team Atletico Madrid also qualified when a 2-2 draw at Portugal’s Sporting gave them victory on the away goals rule.
VfL Wolfsburg joined Hamburg in the last eight with a 2-1 extra-time win over Russian side Rubin Kazan, with Christian Gentner grabbing the decisive goal.
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