Wolves ready to pounce on Fulham

Alexander Madlung's 89th-minute strike in London could prove to be priceless for VfL Wolfsburg as they head into the home leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final against Fulham FC with a 2-1 deficit to overturn.

• The Cottagers looked set for another famous European victory after goals from Bobby Zamora (59) and Damien Duff (63) handed them a 2-0 lead, but Madlung's header in the closing moments has swung the tie back in the German champions' direction.

Previous meetings
• Before the first leg, the two sides had never met. In Fulham's only previous encounter with German opposition, they lost 2-1 away and drew 0-0 at home against Hertha BSC Berlin in the third round of the 2002/03 UEFA Cup. Wolfsburg defender Madlung was an unused substitute in the first leg.

• Wolfsburg have now played four games against English sides, beating Portsmouth FC 3-2 in last season's UEFA Cup group stage before losing 2-1 away and 3-1 at home against Manchester United FC in the UEFA Champions League group stage earlier this term.

Match background
• Neither side have reached the quarter-finals of a major UEFA club competition before.

• Fulham's first-leg win means that they are unbeaten in 15 UEFA club home games since making their continental debut in the 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup.

• Wolfsburg have won both of their home games since transferring from the UEFA Champions League. They have lost only once at home in Europe this season, 3-1 to Fulham's English rivals Manchester United.

• Fulham's seven away games since they kicked off the season in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round have ended W2 D2 L3.

Team facts
• Fulham have been marginally more dangerous in the first halves of their games, with ten goals coming before the interval and eight after. Five of their 18 successful efforts from the group stage onwards have come between the 31st and 45th minutes.

• Grafite is Wolfsburg's top scorer in Europe this season with six goals – three in the UEFA Champions League and three in the UEFA Europa League. However, Džeko is just behind him on five goals (four in the UEFA Champions League and one in the UEFA Europa League).

• Zoltán Gera and Zamora are Fulham's joint European top scorers since the start of the group stage with five goals apiece.

• Fulham manager Roy Hodgson coached in five European games against German opposition with Halmstads BK, FC Internazionale Milano and most recently Viking FK, with his record reading W2 D0 L3. He has now won all three of his home games against Bundesliga sides, but lost all three of his games in Germany.

• As coach of Inter, Hodgson suffered the pain of losing the 1996/97 UEFA Cup final on penalties against German opponents FC Schalke 04.

• Born in Australia to German parents, Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer can draw on some experience of German football having represented 1. FC Dynamo Dresden (1994/95) and 1. FC Kaiserslautern (1995/96) before moving to England, initially with Bradford City FC.

• Wolfsburg and Fulham are the least experienced teams in the quarter-finals, going into the second leg as veterans of 49 and 29 UEFA club competition games respectively.

• Four of the sides in the last eight competed in the UEFA Europa League group stage: SL Benfica, Fulham, Hamburger SV and Valencia. The other four transferred from the UEFA Champions League group stage: Club Atlético de Madrid, Liverpool FC, R. Standard de Liège and Wolfsburg.

• By a quirk of the draw, all four quarter-final ties feature one side from the UEFA Champions League group stage and one from the UEFA Europa League.

• The winners face the victors in the contest between Hamburg and Standard in the semi-finals on 22 and 29 April, playing the second leg at home. The side that comes through those games will be the nominal away team in the final in Hamburg on 12 May.

Penalties
• Fulham and Wolfsburg have never been involved in a European penalty shoot-out.