Half-time: Fulham 2 Aston Villa 0 – Berbatov inspires brilliant Whites

By

A Steve Sidwell strike and a Dimitar Berbatov penalty have put Fulham in a commanding position at the break.

Sidwell netted the opener against his former club on 21 minutes, latching on to Giorgos Karagounis’s pass before slipping it past Villa keeper Brad Guzan.

Berbatov, outstanding in the first 45 minutes, then fired home from the spot after Ashkan Dejagah tumbled under Leandro Bacuna’s challenge.

Fulham’s fluid movement in attack has asked constant questions of a retreating Villa defence.

In the opening minutes, Berbatov saw a header tipped on to the post by Guzan, while Kacaniklic had a curling effort cleared off the line by Nathan Baker.

The visitors’ only chances of note came while the match was still goalless, with Christian Benteke sending a glancing header across goal and forcing a stop from Maarten Stekelenburg.

Late in the first half, Bacuna sent a free-kick from just outside the penalty well wide of goal.

Fulham: Stekelenburg; Riether, Hughes, Senderos, Riise; Dejagah, Parker, Karagounis, Sidwell, Kačaniklić; Berbatov.
Subs: Stockdale, Zverotic, Richardson, Kasami, Duff, Ruiz, Christensen.

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

 

Follow West London Sport on Twitter
Find us on Facebook