Hamburg 0 Fulham 0:After spending 17 hours on a bus, Roy Hodgson parked it right in front of the Fulham goal as the Cottagers' Europa League magical mystery tour took them within sight of a grand finale back here in Hamburg next month.
Although their German opponents dominated possession at the Nordbank Arena, they never really looked like breaking through until a late flurry.
The two sides will reconvene in a week’s time at Craven Cottage with Roy Hodgson’s men hopeful of getting the win that would seal a first European final.
Fulham struggled to get hold of the ball but they suddenly sprung to life in the 14th minute when Bobby Zamora’s flick found Zoltan Gera, whose deflected shot sailed two yards wide of the Hamburg goal with German goalkeeper Frank Rost stranded.
Pitroipa’s pace was causing problems for the Fulham defence and three defenders were required to block the dangerous winger as he broke down the left just after the half-hour mark.
Chris Baird’s misplaced pass inside his own area handed possession to Hamburg seconds after the break but Hughes moved quickly to deny Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
Fulham then hit back on the break but Zamora blasted well over from 30 yard when he should have laid the ball off to Damien Duff, who was in space down the right.
That proved to be the 29-year-old’s last contribution of the game as he went off and straight down the tunnel with what looked like an injury.
His replacement, Clint Dempsey, thought he should have had a penalty when he went down in the Hamburg box under pressure from Jerome Boateng but referee Claus Bo Larsen waved away the American’s protests.
Gera broke down the left and tried to square the ball to Dempsey just before the hour mark but Hamburg captain Joris Mathijsen cut out the Hungarian’s pass to deny the striker in the box.
Hamburg, sensing that time was running out to find a goal, piled on the pressure and David Jarolim stung Schwarzer’s palms with a low drive with 18 minutes left.
Fulham began to look more comfortable on the ball in attack and Rost had to race out to deny Dempsey as Hamburg’s push for a goal left them open at the back.
Piotr Trochowski was then booked as he hacked down Duff, who had broken clear of the left back in search of a vital away goal at the death.