Fernando Torres scored twice as Liverpool reached the Europa League semi-finals with a 4-1 win over Benfica, 5-3 on aggregate, and a last-four clash with Atletico Madrid, the Spanish striker’s former club.

Fulham, who have already knocked out mighty Juventus, were indebted to a 19-second goal from in-form striker Bobby Zamora to see off German champions Wolfsburg 1-0 and a 3-1 aggregate victory. Roy Hodgson’s Cottagers will face another German side Hamburg in the semi-finals as the prospects of an all-English final on May 12 were kept alive.

Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool, trailing 2-1 from the first leg in Lisbon, were on their way at Anfield thanks to two goals in seven first half minutes from Dirk Kuyt and Lucas. Torres added a third in the second half before Oscar Cardozo’s free-kick put Benfica within one goal of going through on away goals. But Torres struck again in the closing stages as Liverpool continue their bid for a first major European trophy since the 2005 Champions League.

Zamora, who scored in the 2-1 first leg win in London, bolstered his hopes of an England World Cup call with a goal after just 19 seconds at Wolfsburg as Fulham reached the last four of a European competition for the first time. His goal was out of the top drawer as he neatly turned inside Jan Simunek to find the target with a sweet left-foot drive.

Hamburg saw off Standard Liege in their quarter-final, winning 3-1 in Belgium for a 5-2 aggregate win. Mladen Petric scored twice while Paolo Guerrero added a third.

It was a rare bright spot for the Peruvian striker who earlier had been banned for five Bundesliga matches for hurling a bottle at a heckling Hamburg fan last weekend. Quique Sanchez Flores guided Atletico Madrid to their first European semi-final in 11 years after a 0-0 draw against fellow Spaniards Valencia put them through on the away goals rule. The first game ended in a 2-2 draw.