LONDON (AP) Grueling journeys over land took their toll as Liverpool lost 1-0 at Atletico Madrid, and Fulham was held to a 0-0 tie at Hamburg in their Europa League semifinal first legs Thursday night.

American midfielder Clint Dempsey returned from a thigh injury that caused him to miss three games, entering in the 53rd minute for Fulham. The 27-year-old from Nacogdoches, Texas, missed the quarterfinal second leg at Wolfsburg and Premier League games against Liverpool and Wolverhampton after injuring a thigh late in the match against Wigan on April 4.

"We were a bit tired in the legs, but in the end it's a good performance," Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer said.

Former Manchester United forward Diego Forlan scored in the ninth minute for Atletico.