Facundo Sava scored a second-half own goal to dent Fulham's chances of progressing to the fourth round of the Uefa Cup.

Jean Tigana's side looked to have secured a useful advantage for the second leg when Steve Marlet cancelled out Hertha captain Stefan Beinlich's header.

But they paid the price for a lacklustre display in front of a sparse crowd in Berlin's Olympiastadion.

Match facts

25 mins: Beinlich heads home for Berlin 53 mins: Marlet heads Fulham's equaliser 55 mins: Kiraly saves from Djetou 68 mins: Sava volleys an own goal 85 mins: Marlet's header is saved

And Sava, who had been the hero after scoring twice in the 3-2 win against Liverpool on Saturday, came back down to earth when he put through his own net on 68 minutes.

Fulham had won three and drawn three of their six away Intertoto Cup and Uefa Cup games this season.

And they looked in complete control in the opening exchanges of a match which had all the intensity of a pre-season friendly.

It was 22 minutes before the game saw its first shot on goal, when Michael Hartman sent a tame effort into the arms of Fulham keeper Edwin van der Sar.

But Tigana's men paid the price for some poor marking as Beinlich stole in at the near post to head in Marcelinho's corner from almost under the crossbar.

Our away goal was important and we're looking forward to the second game Fulham's Luis Boa Morte

Fulham's only first-half efforts were a weak header from Sava and a shot on the turn from Steed Malbranque which was easily gathered by Hertha keeper Gabor Kiraly.

Tigana responded by bringing on Luis Boa Morte for Bjarne Goldbaek at the break and his side were level within eight minutes.

Malbranque made amends for wasting an earlier chance to break by sending in a perfect cross on to the forehead of Martin Djetou.

The Frenchman's header beat Kiraly, bounced back off the post and Marlet had the simple task of heading into an empty net from a yard out.

Marlet grabbed Fulham's away goal

Moments later it took a brilliant save from Kiraly to deny Djetou after a great run down the left from Boa Morte.

But the home side fought their way back into the game and grabbed a freak winner from a free-kick.

Marcelinho swung it in from the right and Sava deflected the ball into the top corner past the helpless Van der Sar as he tried to clear.

Marlet had a chance to salvage a draw but his header from a Sean Davis cross was straight at Kiraly, and Steve Finnan went close with a deflected late strike.

Hertha Berlin: Kiraly, Friedrich, Van Burik, Nene de Brito, Marcelinho, Schmidt (Simunic 59), Dardai, Hartmann, Goor, Beinlich (Pinto 90), Alves (Preetz 59).
Subs Not Used: Sverrisson, Tretschok, Madlung, Fiedler.

Booked: Preetz, Dardai.

Fulham: Van der Sar, Finnan, Goma, Melville, Brevett, Goldbaek (Boa Morte 46), Malbranque (Inamoto 79), Djetou, Davis, Sava, Marlet.
Subs Not Used: Clark, Knight, Wome, Stolcers, Taylor.

Attendance: 14,477

Referee: Dick Van Egmond (Holland).