Fulham V Hamburg Betting: UEFA Europa League

UEFA Europa League: Semi-Final, Second Leg

Fulham V Hamburg

Thursday, 29^th April – 20:05 (GMT)

Craven Cottage, England

TV Coverage: ITV4

First Leg: Hamburg 0-0 Fulham

Fulham

Outright Odds: 4.50 PaddyPower

It’s been a memorable Europa League campaign for the Cottagers, and after a hard fought draw in Germany at the Hamburg Arena, Roy Hodgeson has guided Fulham to within 90 minutes of the club’s first ever major European final. All that stands in their way is an on-of-sorts Hamburg, but will nerves play a part on Thursday evening in what will be the club’s biggest and most important fixture in their history.

The Cottagers will claim the award this season for being Europe’s surprise package as no-one, not even themselves, would have predicted such a healthy progression through the tournament. Reaching the semi-final was a feat in itself and it remains unfamiliar territory for Fulham as they’ve never entertained the fact of a major European semi-final. That could wreak havoc with the minds of the Fulham players as very few will have been in such a pressurized situation as the one they’ll be in on Thursday.

The ball is in Fulham’s court however, after the 0-0 draw in Germany gave them the initiative now that home advantage in the second and deciding leg is all theirs. The danger, though, is that one goal from Hamburg would need Fulham needing to score a couple and were Hamburg to land the first blow, nerves could play a big part in how Fulham respond. However, Fulham have had to defy the huge odds before when they went a goal down at home to Juventus in the Round of 16. It was arguably the greatest comeback in the club’s history, perhaps even the greatest result. The Cottagers, after their stunning efforts earlier in the competition against Juventus, will know they’re capable of clawing back a deficit should they need to.

Fans will have every right to be optimistic about their teams chances on Thursday evening as the Cottagers are unbeaten on home soil in Europe this season and have won their last four home European fixtures in succession. Make it five in a row on Thursday and Fulham will make their first European final in their history.

The bad news is Bobby Zamora, Fulham’s leading goalscorer in the competition, is a major doubt after limping off during the 0-0 draw with Hamburg in Germany. The Englishman has been instrumental for Fulham in their campaign to win some rare silverware and has six Europa League goals to his name as well as scoring in Fulham’s previous three home encounters in Europe. He’s a player which will hold the ball up, can play the right pass and has scored the big, important goals for Fulham this season. Should he not be fit enough to start, Fulham will struggle to fill the void.

Hamburg

Outright Odds: 3.75 Coral

Hamburg are a club in disarray at present after falling to a comprehensive 5-1 defeat over the weekend in Hoffenheim, but could find salvation in the form of a final date with their own venue, the Hamburg Arena, should they overcome the competitions most improved team in Fulham. The Germans didn’t do themselves any favours by drawing the first leg 0-0 after wasting several good opportunities to take a crucial aggregate lead over to England with them, but what’s done is done and now the German side will need a much improved display over in England if they’re to avoid bowing out at the semi-final stage for the second season running.

The German side crashed out at the semi-final stage last season when Werder Bremen, a fellow German side, overpowered them over the two legs. Some would say their semi-final task this time around is far easier but yet they’re seemingly making hard-work of the situation. Perhaps they’re keeping us in pretence, or on our toes, either way, they’ve not looked at all convincing and their away form in the competition thus far would lead to even more reservations about their chances of making an elusive European final.

Hamburg have crashed to four defeats from their six away European fixtures, with two of coming in the knock-out stage of the competition following defeats at PSV (2-0) and Anderlecht (4-3). They did, however, stop the rut with a 2-1 win in Standard Liege in the quarter-finals, but their away record thus far speaks for itself, while it goes hand-in-hand with their dire league form in making Hamburg look a really poor bet to make the final, which, ironically, would be on home soil.

The talk of the town is now about the controversial sacking of former Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia just days before the Fulham showdown. However, the majority feel it was a needed change as the club’s fortunes were seriously on the decline after a torrid run of form which has seen Hamburg’s chances of making the Europa League final dim slightly, while they’ve been consistently dropping down the Bundesliga table instead of climbing it. Hamburg crashed to their eighth defeat of the season on Sunday, their second on the spin, and in emphatic style as they were thumped 5-1 away at Hoffenheim. The club hierarchy clearly felt the team was moving in the wrong direction and that an immediate change was needed in order to force some immediate improvements from the team ahead of the club’s biggest fixture of the season. We shall find out on Thursday night whether it has had the desired effect or not.

Match Verdict: Fulham to WIN – 2.20 SkyBet

To be brutally honest, Fulham should win fairly comfortably considering Hamburg are enduring a terrible spell at present and were recently spanked 5-1 in the German Bundesliga last Sunday. Fulham, however, have been resilient in their league games even without their strongest team on the pitch, with Roy Hodgeson saving his players for this very encounter. The Cottagers have been sensational in the competition up till this point and it would be a massive disappoint should they fall at the final hurdle. The form says they shouldn’t, while the fans will do their best to rally behind the players as well. Our only negative point is the possibility of Bobby Zamora not playing. Without him Fulham could struggle to stick away the chances they do create.

Fulham will have a large army of neutral supporters back in England rooting them on at Craven Cottage, us included. We hope they don’t come a cropper after all their previous hard work in the earlier rounds.

Match Odds

Fulham – 2.20 SkyBet

Draw – 3.40 Bet365

Hamburg -3.50 Coral