By Goal.com News on Tuesday, 04 August 2020
Category: Goal.com News

LIVE: Brentford vs Fulham

120' + 1' Brentford are still pushing for a late goal here and it falls to Benrahma on the edge of the box. He lets it bounce before hitting his shot, but it flies over the crossbar.

119' It looks like Fulham are in on goal again after Cairney plays a long ball over the top to try and pick out Cavaleiro but Raya rushes out of his box to intercept the pass and clear his lines.

116' Including play-offs, Fulham have scored four Championship goals via direct free-kicks this season, all coming in their last five matches; only Hull City and Manchester City (both five) have more league goals from direct free-kicks in England's top four tiers in 2019-20.

114' Christie clatters into Watkins just outside the box and Brentford have a free-kick in a dangerous position. Benrahma stands over it, but can't get his effort over Fulham's wall.

112' Fosu is picked out in a lot of space on the right of the box, but he gets the ball caught under his feet. That gives Bryan chance to get back and he times his challenge perfectly to nick it off him.

108' Brentford are moving it upfield a lot quicker now as they search for an equaliser and Dalsgaard swings a deep cross into the box from the right. He's looking for Watkins at the far post, but Rodak comes off his line to collect it.

106' Brentford get us back underway once again!

The deadlock is finally broken as Fulham lead 1-0 in extra-time. Bryan stepped up to take a free-kick and his powerful curling shot beat Raya at his near post after the goalkeeper drifted off his line. Brentford had a good chance at the beginning of the half to take the lead, but Watkins put it wide from close range.

105' + 3' HALF-TIME: BRENTFORD 0-1 FULHAM.

100' This is the second of the last four Championship play-off finals to go to extra-time (also 2017); only one of the previous 14 second-tier play-off finals had gone beyond 90 minutes before this.

98' Cairney's deep cross in the box is headed back across goal by Knockaert as he tries to set up Mitrovic for a shot. The keeper reads the danger well and dives off his line to punch it away from the forward.

96' Kamara pulls away from his defender and finds himself in a pocket of space just outside the box. He keeps his shot low as he sends it towards the near bottom corner, but Raya gets down to hold onto it.

94' Dalsgaard plays a long ball over the top and Marcondes brings it down on the right wing. He tries to touch it into Canos' path to his left, but Hector makes another important interception.

92' Benrahma puts a low cross into the six-yard box to pick out Watkins' run through the middle. He looks like he's in on goal but an important touch from Hector sends it against the forward and out for a goal-kick.

91' Mitrovic gets us underway for extra-time!

Brentford looked a lot more dangerous going forward in the second half but without causing Rodak any real problems. Frank will be hoping they can be more clinical in extra-time. As for Fulham, they now have top-scorer Mitrovic on and Parker will be hoping his side improve in the final third.

The play-off final is going to extra-time after a 0-0 draw between Brentford and Fulham. Watkins had the best chance for Brentford in the second-half when his drilled shot forced a good save out of Rodak. Onomah had a couple of chances in the first half with Raya making a great low save to deny him, but couldn't test the keeper in the second. 

90' + 4' END OF 90 MINUTES: BRENTFORD 0-0 FULHAM.

90' Reed has the ball on the right wing, but he has no options ahead of him to aim for in the box. He's trying to hold it up, but is eventually crowded off the ball by two Brentford defenders/

87' Canos drifts inside from the right to get on the end of Dalsgaard's throughball and plays a one-two with Watkins to try and create more space. He then tries to slip in Benrahma on the left of the box but plays it behind him.

85' The ball bounces up in front of Onomah after Jansson misses his clearance and he hits the shot on the volley from outside the box. It's too high though and it flies over bar.

83' CLOSE! Dasilva squares the ball to Watkins on the edge of the box and he's off-balance but manages to touch it into Jensen. He hits his shot first time and it's just over the crossbar.

79' Dasilva wins the ball back and plays a good throughball across to Watkins. Hector is tight to him though and ends up pulling the striker down in his attempts to win it off him.

77' Brentford are keeping the pressure on Fulham as they continue to press forward. There's no space for them to move into though, so they're taking their time to go forward.

75' Fulham have all of their players sitting back in their own half at the moment as Brentford keep hold of the ball and patiently try to pass their way into the final third.

73' Dasilva's deep cross almost catches Hector out as it bounces just in front of him, making it difficult to clear. He has Watkins right behind him, but Rodak is quickly off his line to collect it. 

71' GOOD SAVE! Watkins is picked out on the edge of the box and after getting his head up, he drills his shot towards goal. Although it's straight at Rodak, it's a powerful shot and he pushes it away with both hands.

70' Fulham try to break quickly after winning possession back on the edge of their box, with Kebano leading the attack through the middle. He plays it out to De Cordova-Reid, but his first touch is poor and Henry clears it.

68' Marcondes steps up to take the free-kick Benrahma won just outside the box. There's a lot of height on his shot so it goes over the wall, but it also sails over the top of the bar.

66' Benrahma swings a deep cross into the box from a corner and Dasilva rises highest to meet it at the far post. He heads it back across the box but can't pick out a team-mate as Bryan heads it out again.

64' Kebano wins the ball back in midfield and turns so he's running towards goal. He has no one up with him in support and he's got five defenders up against him. He tries to hold it up, but in the end, is brushed off it by Pinnock.

62' Bryan swings the corner into the box and nobody picks up Hector's run through the middle of the box. He flicks it on but can't direct it towards goal and sends his header wide of the near post.

58' CLOSE! Jansson throws himself forward to try and head Kebano's cross clear but misses it and it runs through to De Cordova-Reid. He takes a touch before looping his shot towards the top corner, but it's just wide of the post.

56' Benrahma whips a cross into the box but Hector heads it away from Watkins. It falls to Mbeumo on the right of the box and after dribbling away from Bryan, he loops another cross in, but it's overhit and straight out of play.

54' It's sloppy from Fulham as Ream gives the ball away to Mbeumo just outside the box. He picks out Dasilva on the right and he dummies a cross to wrongfoot his defender before curling a shot into the near post, but it's blocked by Bryan.

52' There's a half-hearted shout for a handball against Reed after Benrahma's shot seems to bounce off the defender. His arm was tight to his side though and the referee doesn't think there's anything in it. 

50' Reed does brilliantly to keep hold of the ball after three challenges on him before he touches it out wide to Kebano. He continues his run to the right, but when he gets the return pass, his touch is heavy and he gives it to Henry.

48' CLOSE! De Cordova-Reid was caught just outside the box and Kebano steps up to take the free-kick. He curls his effort around the wall and Raya is diving towards the near-top corner, but the ball hits the side netting.

46' Brentford get us back underway for the second half!

Fulham have looked the more dangerous side going forward, but their end product has let them down so far. Parker will expect a big improvement from them after the break. Brentford have also struggled in attack and they need to find a way to get Watkins involved in the game more. 

It's goalless at the break between Brentford and Fulham in the play-off final. Onomah has had both of Fulham's shots on target, with his second forcing Raya into a low save to deny him. Brentford's only shot on target came through Mbeumo, but his header was straight at Rodak.

45' + 2' HALF-TIME: BRENTFORD 0-0 FULHAM.

45' Dasilva pulls away from Reed and tries to play a one-two with Benrahma to his left so he can get into the box. The return pass is played behind him though and it's another chance wasted.

43' Fulham win the ball back in midfield again, but Onamah has nowhere to go as he's crowded out by Brentford players. He's trying to pick out De Cordova-Reid on the left but can't squeeze a pass into him.

41' Dalsgaard is forward on the right again and he plays a good low cross into Mbmeumo on the edge of the box. His first touch is a poor one though and Bryan comes away with it.

39' Brentford are sitting back and have all of their players apart from Watkins in their own half. At the moment, Fulham are happy to keep possession in defence as they wait for some space to open up.

37' Cairney nicks the ball off Norgaard in midfield and sets De Cordova-Reid on the attack. He rides the first challenge from Jensen and touches it into Kebano. He's crowded off it though and ends up backheeling it out of play.

35' Jensen pulls away from his defender on the right wing again and swings a dangerous cross into the six-yard box. Rodak catches it on his line but is then caught by Watkins and he wins a free-kick.

33' Jensen swings a hopeful cross into the box from the right and Dalsgaard does brilliantly to get there ahead of Bryan and send the ball looping to the far post. Mbeumo is caught on his heels though and can't reach it.

31' Fulham are still trying to close down Brentford high up the field so Jansson goes long to play in Watkins. Hector is tight to the forward though and is able to intercept the pass before he can have a run at goal.

28' Ream plays a long ball over the top, looking for Onomah who has made a run through the middle. He flicks it on, but can't find Kebano and Raya clears his lines.

26' The resulting corner comes to nothing for Brentford and the players make their way to the sidelines for the cooling break.

24' Henry wrongfoots Odoi on the left to open up some space and then swings a good cross into the box for Mbeumo. He rises above his defender to reach it, but his header is straight at Rodak.

23' It's another quick break from Fulham now, with Bryan leading it down the left. He's in a lot of space, but he slips as he swings his cross into the box which gives Brentford the chance to win it back.

21' Fulham have got a lot of players forward for a corner and there's some pushing in the box so the referee has to have a word with everyone in the area. The corner is poor in the end and Brentford clear it at the near post.

19' Brentford are trying to press Fulham high up the field but they're struggling to get a touch on the ball. Fulham work it into the final third quickly and De Cordova-Reid's long-range shot is blocked.

17' GOOD SAVE! Cairney plays a throughball into Onomah on the right of the box and he just gets ahead of his defender to send his shot across goal. Raya gets a strong hand to it and then has to stick out a leg to stop Jansson's clearance from crossing the line.

16' Brentford are currently unbeaten in five matches against Fulham (W3 D2) and have only lost once in their last 10 meetings with them (W6 D3).

14' Fulham are on the attack again now and Kebano is being given a lot of space down the right. He gets away from Dasilva, but his cross is then blocked at the near post by Henry.

12' Norgaard goes down in the box after a challenge from Reed catches him on his shin. He's straight back to his feet after a quick glance to the referee, but the contact was outside the area anyway.

10' It's a poor pass from Raya to Pinnock and Kebano intercepts it. In the end, Fulham overplay it as they try to find some space in the box and Onomah tries to touch it onto De Cordova-Reid but Jansson clears his lines.

8' Another free-kick for Brentford now and this time, it's Benrahma who takes it. He goes for goal but it hits the wall. Norgaard swings a cross into the box when it comes to him, but Raya comes off his line to collect it.

6' Brentford are keeping the ball well at the moment and are patiently playing out from the back. Watkins does really well to keep it in play at the byline and touches it onto Benrahma, but his cross is blocked.

4' Onomah gets the ball at the halfway line and makes a driving run through Brentford's half. He has support up with him but decides to have a go from range as he drills his shot towards goal, but it's a comfortable save for Raya.

2' Brentford have a free-kick on the right which Norgaard swings into the box and Jansson gets a foot to it but can't do anything with it. Fulham can't clear their lines at first, but Ream eventually boots it away before Mbeumo can get near it.

1' Kamara gets the game underway for Fulham! 

The teams are out on the pitch now, with kick-off just moments away.

Brentford are competing in their fourth play-off final and first since 2013 when in League One (1-2 defeat to Yeovil Town), Indeed, the Bees have lost each of their previous three play-off final matches.

Scott Parker makes two changes to the side that started against Cardiff, but the big news for him is that top-scorer Mitrovic has returned from injury and starts on the bench. Odoi and Kamara both start for Fulham, with Christie and Knockaert dropping to the bench.

Thomas Frank makes just one change to his team after the win over Swansea in the second leg. Dasilva comes in from the start to replace Marcondes, who is on the bench.

FULHAM SUBS: Steven Sessegnon, Cyrus Christie, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Maxime Le Marchand, Anthony Knockaert, Kevin McDonald, Marcus Bettinelli, Ivan Cavaleiro, Stefan Johansen.

FULHAM STARTING XI (4-2-3-1): Marek Rodak; Denis Odoi, Michael Hector, Tim Ream, Joe Bryan; Harrison Reed, Tom Cairney; Aboubakar Kamara, Josh Onomah, Neeskens Kebano; Bobby de Cordova-Reid.

BRENTFORD SUBS: Luke Daniels, Emiliano Marcondes, Tarique Fosu-Henry, Halil Dervisoglu, Mads Roerslev Rasmussen, Jan Zamburek, Sergi Canos, Julian Jeanvier, Cesar Joel Valencia Castillo.

BRENTFORD STARTING XI (4-3-3): David Raya Martin; Henrik Daisgaard, Pontus Jansson, Ethan Pinnock, Rico Henry; Mathias Jensen, Christian Norgaard, Josh Dasilva; Bryan Mbeumo, Ollie Watkins, Said Benrahma.

Brentford overcame a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Swansea City in their semi-final to secure their place at Wembley with a 3-2 aggregate score. Fulham, on the other hand, held on against Cardiff City to also win 3-2 on aggregate, winning the first leg 2-0 but losing the second 2-1. 

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Championship play-off final between Brentford and Fulham at Wembley Stadium!

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