This Europa League knockout game was very entertaining to watch and one that seemed to have four sections to it:
- The opening two minutes, which was just relentless attack by Fulham. Their tactic must have been to go gung ho at the start and see how Donetsk, who are just recovering from a winter break in their native Ukraine, would react and hope for a breakthrough. They got one very easily through Zoltan Gera, who left the defender who was marking him for dead.
- After that goal, for the remainder of the first half, Fulham looked like a team that were unsure of what to do. As a result, their passing was all over the shop and they went into ultra-defensive mode. This allowed Donetsk to play their own game: a patient build-up of play starting from defence and then deliver one cutting ball that would set an attacker free. As such, the attacker set free was Luiz Adriano, who timed his run perfectly from a midfield pass to easily score.
- For the first half of the second half, Fulham came out to pressurise more. They pushed Donetsk back into their own half more and it was only a matter of time before something was to give, but no one was expecting how spectacular the resulting goal. Bobby Zamora, who didn’t even look to goal that much, received the ball just outside the box and almost without thinking thumped one towards the top far right corner of the goal. It powered in off the cross bar. It was a brilliant striker’s goal and questions are now being asked about his place in the England World Cup squad because of it.
- The remainder of the game was far more even. End-to-end stuff with both teams having chances. Donetsk could have pulled a crucial second goal back with Fernandinho’s last-ditch shot but it was saved brilliantly by Mark Schwarzer.
So, it leaves the second leg a very tantalising prospect and easily the most interesting out of all the English clubs playing in Europe. If Fulham could hold onto their lead and capitalise on it in Ukraine, they’ll have knocked off the reigning Europa League cup holders – a testament to how far Roy Hodgson has come with his south London team.
