Atletico Madrid 2-1 Fulham (AET): Fans of both teams arrive in Hamburg, the Atletico fans travelling twice the distance of the Londoners, turning the north German city into a parade of white, red, black and blue
Cottagers boss Roy Hodgson is gambling on the fitness of top scorer Bobby Zamora and Republic of Ireland international winger Damien Duff, recovering from an Achilles and ankle injury, respectively
Though both teams finish mid-table in their leagues, each in the shadow of wealthier teams in the capitals of their respective nations, a win for either team tonight would crown their season in glory
Fulham postpone an operation on Zamora's Achilles and the striker, so much a part of Fulham's 10-month, 18-game European run that sees Shaktar Donetsk and Juventus overcome, plays with a pain-killing injection
Fulham look slick sewing passes together but their possession yields little final effort while Atletico Madrid's only early chance of note comes as Diego Forlan strikes the post from Sergio Aguero's set-up
The Spanish side take the lead through Forlan - once of Manchester United, twice on the scoresheet against Liverpool in the semi-final - who reacts quickest to Aguero's mis-hit shot
Minutes later the Cottagers go at their opponents for the first time, Zamora wriggling free in the box, the ball breaking to Zoltan Gera and his cross finding Simon Davies (out of shot) at the far post to lash the ball home
Clint Dempsey replaces Zamora in the second half but Fulham create little beside Gera beating the offside trap only to overrun the ball and narrowly avoid clipping David de Gea in the Atletico goal
The players tire, the game stretches, but neither team can find a break-through, despite Aguero and Forlan looking the likeliest game-changers on the pitch, and the match goes to extra-time
Hodgson has been here before, in the Uefa Cup final with Inter Milan, and must draw on his experience to rally his exhausted-looking team one more time
Atletico Madrid go at the beleaguered defence of the Londoners, getting in and behind several times only for a combination of Mark Schwarzer, Dickson Etuhu and luck to halt the likes of Aguero and Eduardo Silvio
The pressure on Fulham never ceases and there's no surprise when the ball breaks to Aguero on the left and his cross finds Forlan but luck goes the way of the Atletico attack as the ball ricochets in off Brede Hangeland
Fulham boss Hodgson is left to ponder a heartbreaking end to a thrilling adventure. "It doesn't matter how much comfort I try to find, it is difficult to find joy or enthusiasm because a great performance has gone unrewarded."
Atletico Madrid hang on for the last eight minutes to become the first-ever winners of the Europa League, their first major silverware since the Spanish double in 1995-96
What are these?
E-mail this to a friend 
Bookmark with:
What are these?