Jol's joy after late Petric header opens gap at top

Matt Gatward
Monday 06 October 2008 00:00 BST
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While Tottenham Hotspur flounder at the bottom of the Premier League with pressure increasing match by match on the manager Juande Ramos, his predecessor at the club, Martin Jol, sacked for not getting Spurs into the top four, continued his success with Hamburg yesterday, leading them to a late 2-1 win away to Energie Cottbus. The win moves them three points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and increases the pressure on struggling champions Bayern Munich.

A cracking header from Mladen Petric in the 90th minute gave Hamburg all three points from a match that had looked to be slipping away from them. With seven games played, Hamburg lead with 16 points, followed by 1899 Hoffenheim and VfB Stuttgart on 13. Promoted Hoffenheim won 2-1 at home to Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, while Stuttgart thumped Werder Bremen 4-1.

Bayern, coached by another Tottenham old boy, Jürgen Klinsmann, who were held to a 3-3 draw at home by Bochum on Saturday, are down in 11th place with nine points – now seven points off the title place.

Jose Mourinho's Internazionale returned to winning ways against Bologna on Saturday to join Lazio at the top of Serie A. The home side found the form which has eluded them recently in the first half, but were only rewarded with one goal from Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 25th minute.

They doubled their lead with an Adriano penalty in the 49th minute, but after Vangelis Moras reduced the arrears seven minutes later, they began to look nervous, holding on to the three points rather than searching to close the game with a third goal.

A late goal from Simone Inzaghi spared Lazio's blushes at the Stadio Olimpico as the leaders salvaged a point against newcomers Lecce. The hosts looked to be heading for only their second defeat of the season following Simone Tiribocchi's first-half opener for Lecce. But substitute Inzaghi popped up in the final minute to snatch a share of the spoils for Lazio.

In France, Mickael Pagis scored a hat-trick as Stade Rennes handed Lyons their first Ligue 1 defeat of the season with a 3-0 thrashing for the seven-times champions on Sunday. Striker Pagis found the back of the net once in the first half and twice after the interval, making up for his side's Uefa Cup exit against Dutch side Twente earlier this week.

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