Fulham’s reward for their amazing Europa League win over Juentus is a quarter-final with Wolfsburg.
Roy Hodgson’s side stunned Europe when, after falling behind to an early goal at Craven Cottage to go 4-1 down in the tie on Thursday, they hit back with four goals to progress 5-4 on aggregate and book their place in the last eight draw at Uefa headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, on Friday.
They will next face the Bundesliga side beaten twice by Manchester United in this season’s Champions League group stages and, having seen off both Juve and last year’s winners Shakhtar Donetsk, will likely not fear the Germans, who visit Craven Cottage for the first leg. If Fulham can reach the semi-finals they will then have to take on either another German side Hamburg or Standard Liege of Belgium.
Liverpool, who ousted Lille on Thursday, face Benfica - a team that have caused them problems on more than one occasion in the past, most recently when they knocked them out of the Champions League last 16 in 2006.
Rafael Benitez’s men will travel to Portugal for the first leg. If they get past the Lisbon side they will face Spanish opposition with Atletico Madrid and Benitez’s old club Valencia – for whom David Villa bagged a hat-trick against Werder Bremen in the last 16 – in the other quarter-final.
The team that comes through form Liverpool, Benfica, Atletico or Valencia will have home advantage in the Hamburg final, with Hamburg themselves having to use the away dressing room if they make it that far.
Europa League Quarter-Final Draw:
Fulham v Wolfsburg
Hamburg v Standard Liege
Valencia v Atletico Madrid
Benfica v Liverpool
Semi-Final Draw:
Hamburg/Standard Liege v Fulham/Wofsburg
Valencia/Atletico Madrid v Benfica/Liverpool
The first legs of the last eight ties will be played on April 1 with the reverse games a week later.