Diego Forlan`s extra-time effort sent Atletico Madrid into the Europa League final on away goals at the expense of Liverpool after a 2-2 aggregate draw on Thursday.
|Last Updated: Apr 30, 2010, 10:04 AM IST|Source: Bureau
London: Diego Forlan`s extra-time effort sent Atletico Madrid into the Europa League final on away goals at the expense of Liverpool after a 2-2 aggregate draw on Thursday.
Liverpool, trailing 1-0 from the first leg, drew level just before the end of the first half through Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani`s low curling shot from inside the box.
A quiet second half set up extra time and the hosts took a 2-0 lead on the night through Yossi Benayoun`s angled strike only for Forlan to smash home the ball a few minutes later.
Atletico will meet Fulham in the May 12 final in Hamburg where they will bid to win their first major European trophy since the European Cup Winners` Cup in 1962.
The Spanish side, who face Sevilla in the King`s Cup next month, also reached the European Cup final in 1974.
"We have done really well," Atletico coach Quique Sanchez Flores told reporters.
"Today we got stronger as the match went on and over the two legs I think we deserved to go through. I`ve not known too many better moments."
For Rafa Benitez`s Liverpool, Europa League silverware represented a last chance to salvage a dismal season which featured an early Champions League exit and a failed Premier League title challenge.
Attacking Intent
Liverpool started with all the attacking intent Benitez wanted from a side including Steven Gerrard, Aquilani, Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt and they forced three corners inside the first two minutes to raise Anfield hopes.
However, the visitors have been dangerous on their travels and as Liverpool lost their passing game Raul Garcia tested goalkeeper Pepe Reina with a dipping shot that was turned around the post.
The hosts` inability to keep the ball up front frustrated the Liverpool fans but with halftime approaching Aquilani came to their rescue, stretching to meet Benayoun`s cross and curl home a low shot.
Atletico enjoyed more of the possession after the break but it was Liverpool who almost doubled their lead on 80 minutes when England fullback Glen Johnson skipped past two players before seeing his 20-metre drive tipped over.
Five-times European champions and three-times UEFA Cup winners Liverpool had produced second-leg victories twice already in the competition this season following first-leg defeats and they went ahead early in extra time.
A delightfully-chipped Lucas pass was met by Benayoun who finished well from a tight angle.
Anfield went from raptures to stunned silence shortly afterwards when Jose Antonio Reyes easily beat Johnson to set up first-leg scorer Forlan, who smashed home from five metres for the decisive away goal.
Benitez said: "We were on top for a long time. We lost the game with a late goal but it was a good game.”
"It was a pity the way they scored."
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.