Fulham vs Hamburg: Europa League Semifinal Second Leg Preview

A peek inside of the trophy case at Craven Cottage probably won’t exactly wow you.

Alongside several not-quite-so-prestigious cups, like the Middlesex Senior Cup or the West London Observer Cup, rest only a few notable trophies won by Fulham FC: two trophies from championships in the second tier, one from the third tier, and perhaps Fulham’s greatest achievement to date: 2002’s Intertoto Cup.

Clearly, Fulham don’t exactly break the bank on their monthly brass-polishing bill.

A win in Thursday’s semifinal second leg against Hamburg SV, however, would find the Cottagers one step away from adding a Europa League trophy to that case.

Unfortunately, Fulham will need an outright win, as last Thursday’s 0-0 draw in Hamburg leaves the visitors needing only a non-scoreless draw to advance to the final on the away goals rule.

Freshness could be a factor for Fulham, who have played almost 60 games already this season. However, manager Roy Hodgson continued his recent pattern of resting players in non-Europa League action after Sunday’s 2-1 league loss against Everton, in which Hodgson sat nine first-team players.

In addition, the fixture is at Craven Cottage, which will relieve the Fulham players of travel-induced fatigue.

Another factor will be the health, or lack thereof, of forward Bobby Zamora. Zamora, whose 19 goals on the season lead the Cottagers, is battling a nagging Achilles tendon injury which saw him leave the first leg early in the second half.

Without Zamora, Fulham will likely rely on Zoltan Gera and Clint Dempsey (who has been battling a bit of an injury himself) to lead the line, both of whom are capable forwards but play more naturally in the midfield.

Hamburg, however, are not without their own problems. Bruno Labbadia was relieved of his duties as Hamburg manager after the side lost 5-1 in league action against Hoffenheim on Sunday, so the club is in a state of recovery.

The German semifinalists had only tallied four wins in their previous 15 matches, and stand-in coach Ricardo Moniz will have to provide a calm head and effective game plan if Hamburg are to have any hope of salvaging what has been a disappointing 2010.

The tactical breakdown for this game is just as fascinating as the off-field matters. Ruud van Nistelrooy’s lack of impact in the first leg will not likely be a repeat offense on Thursday, so the Fulham defense, led by a solid center back pairing of Brede Hangelaand and Aaron Hughes, will have to be on top of their game.

However, the fixture will likely be won or lost in the midfield, as are most. The key match-up: Fulham’s Danny Murphy against Hamburg’s Ze Roberto. Both are experienced center mids with tons of top notch European experience, and whichever player can dictate play and possession most effectively should be the one whose side advances to the final in Hamburg.

My prediction: the first side to score wins. Should Fulham tally first, Hodgson will pack in the forces and get the 1-0 result by the same bend-but-not-break means displayed in last Thursday's scoreless draw. However, if the Cottagers allow an early goal, it will be an uphill battle to score the two goals then needed to advance.

Fulham seem to have a way with uphill battles these days, though. Just ask Juventus.