Sava mistake foils Fulham

Hertha Berlin 2

Facundo Sava, the two-goal hero in Saturday’s thrilling 3-2 victory against Liverpool, scored an horrendous own goal as Jean Tigana’s men slumped to a 2-1 defeat in the Olympiastadion.

Earlier, Hertha’s Aston Villa reject Stefan Beinlich, who played just a handful of games during Ron Atkinson’s reign a decade ago, headed home while totally unmarked in the 25th minute of a desperately dull first half.

This third-round, first-leg tie thankfully livened up after the break - with Steve Marlet pouncing from two yards for the equaliser after Martin Djetou’s header hit the post.

And only a stunning save from Hertha goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly stopped Djetou making it two goals in a minute.

But disaster struck in the 67th minute when Sava, back defending Brazilian playmaker Marcelinho’s free-kick, stuck out his left leg and somehow sliced the ball into the back of his own net.

Fulham’s 12-match unbeaten streak in Europe is now over - and Tigana’s men know they must win at Loftus Road a fortnight tonight to reach the February’s fourth round.

The Cottagers’ 300-strong band of travelling fans will certainly not have visited many stadiums as strange as this 55,000-capacity concrete bowl, which hosted the controversial 1936 Olympics and is the likely venue for the 2006 World Cup final.

The ground is dwarfed by seven giant cranes, used as part of a renovation scheme which has reduced a huge bank of terracing to a giant sandpit.

In a boring first 20 minutes, the pace of the game was more suited to a training ground work-out - and the 14,477 crowd were virtually silent.

It livened up when Edwin van der Sar gathered a strike by Hertha’s Michael Hartmann, who had cut in from the left - and then Andreas Schmidt headed wide.

That proved a sign of things to come as Hertha tore the Fulham defence apart and bagged the opener in the 25th minute.

From the flag kick, which Marcelinho took himself, Beinlich rose completely unmarked at the far post and headed past the exposed van der Sar.

Marcelinho, who has five goals to his name this season, almost struck a magnificent sixth 10 minutes before the interval. He jinked into the box from the right flank and stung van der Sar’s palms with a left-foot strike.

Steed Malbranque twisted and turned to create Fulham’s first shooting opportunity - but Kiraly was down smartly to save at his feet.

A rare moment of incisive attacking play from Fulham heralded the equaliser in the 52nd minute.

Malbranque dinked over a delightful cross from the left - which Djetou met with a towering header.

His attempt beat Kiraly and rebounded off the left post for Steve Marlet to nod into an empty net.

A minute later, substitute Luis Boa Morte crossed from the left and only a miracle point-blank block by Kiraly from Djetou prevented Fulham taking the lead.

Beinlich could have made Tigana’s men pay the price for more non-existent marking just after the hour.

Hartmann fired a diagonal delivery into the box from the left wing and Beinlich, in acres of space, flicked a header well over the top.

Disaster struck for Fulham when Sava flung out his left boot to clear Marcelinho’s angled free-kick - but succeeded only in slicing the ball past van der Sar for a nightmare own-goal.

Van der Sar kept Fulham’s UEFA Cup dream alive with a save with his legs from Marcelinho’s stunning volley from a near-impossible angle.

Home keeper Kiraly was in the right place to gather Marlet’s header from Davis’ free-kick with nine minutes left.

And van der Sar parried from Arne Friedrich as full-time neared.

HERTHA BERLIN: Kiraly, Friedrich, Van Burik, Nene de Brito, Marcelinho, Schmidt (Simunic 59), Dardai, Hartmann, Goor, Beinlich (Pinto 90), Alves (Preetz 59).

FULHAM: Van der Sar, Finnan, Goma, Melville, Brevett, Goldbaek (Boa Morte 46), Malbranque (Inamoto 79), Djetou, Davis, Sava, Marlet.

Referee: Dick Van Egmond (Holland).