If that happens, it will be five-time European champion Liverpool with a record-equaling 18 English league titles against a club which has never won a major domestic trophy.

But Atletico is out to reach its first European final since 1986 and Hamburg is striving to reach a final which will be at its own ground.

Although Liverpool was disappointed to be eliminated from the more prestigious Champions League, it’s confident it can beat Atletico at Anfield and reach the final of what used to be known as the UEFA Cup.

“We are all aware of what is at stake,” said Dutch forward Ryan Babel. “After the first leg, nobody in the dressing room had their heads down because we knew we had the second leg to put it right.

“Luckily enough, we have to play it at Anfield. That is an advantage because on European evenings we can always make them special and we certainly have confidence now. I would be so proud to finish my career with a European medal. If we can go that far, at the end of the season we will be able to look back and see things a little better.”

With Fernando Torres sidelined for the rest of the season and Dirk Kuyt and David Ngog struggling to shake off injuries, Babel has a good chance of starting against an Atletico side which squandered several chances to build a bigger first-leg advantage.

That was without suspended striker Sergio Aguero. But the Argentina star will team up with regular attacking partner Diego Forlan, who scored the only goal of the first leg in Madrid.

Despite having such talent in the lineup, Atletico has struggled throughout its domestic league campaign although it has reached the Copa del Rey final against Sevilla.

Aguero is trying to help the side end its season with at least one trophy and, despite speculation about his future, wants to concentrate on Atletico.

“The day before an important semifinal I don’t think is the right time to talk about my future,” Aguero said on Wednesday. “From now until June I am concentrating on games and doing my best for (the club). At the end of the season we’ll perhaps sit down with the club and decide on a course of action which best suits us both.

“(Against Liverpool) we have to be prepared to play on the counter and maybe not go all out for goals. Liverpool will know we play very well on the counterattack and we have fast guys up front and they will be prepared for that.”

Fulham has had a remarkable route to the semifinal, knocking out UEFA Cup champion Shakhtar Donetsk, overturning Juventus’ 4-1 lead to oust the Italian club, and eliminating German champion Wolfsburg.

Guided by former Inter Milan coach Roy Hodgson, the west London team then restricted Hamburg to 0-0 at the Hamburg Arena where the final is to be played on May 12.

“Just to get to the final of the Europa League would be a phenomenal achievement,” said defender Paul Konchesky. “Obviously one or two of our players have been there before, but there are not a lot of us that know what it means, so hopefully we can get there.”

Hodgson said on Wednesday he will make a late decision on the fitness of top scorer Bobby Zamora, whose 19 goals have given him an outside chance of making England’s World Cup squad.

“When Bobby plays we know what we are doing, and when he does not play, we have people who come in and know what we are doing, so we can leave it late in that respect,” Hodgson said. “He will have treatment again tomorrow, then go in front of our medical people, and I think by lunchtime I should know whether or not he has a chance of playing.

“He wants to play, but he wants to play as a fit player rather than play and in any way hamper our chances of doing well.”

Hodgson praised his small squad of players for competing well in both the league and in Europe.

“It is an outstanding achievement, and I take a lot of pride in that,” said Hodgson, whose team is 12th in the 20-team Premier League. “But we are all determined not to fail at this stage and to take the ultimate step to the final, rather than go out as gallant losers.”

Fulham is on the brink of reaching its first European final and faces a club which fired Bruno Labbadia on Monday after a 5-1 Bundesliga loss at Hoffenheim the day before.

Hamburg has put assistant coach Ricardo Moniz in charge and his job is to restore confidence for Thursday’s game at Craven Cottage.

“The coach was sacked, it was a tragedy,” Moniz said. “It was dramatic, but the next day you have to prepare yourself for a situation that will be unique for us.

“My only task is to give each player the confidence and be their strength.”