Bayer Leverkusen 0-1 Tottenham

By Chris Bevan

Tottenham celebrate Dimitar Berbatov's goal

Dimitar Berbatov hit Tottenham's winner as Martin Jol's side held off Bayer Leverkusen to march into the knockout stages of the Uefa Cup.

Berbatov, facing his old club, was in the right place to slot home the rebound after Aaron Lennon's shot was saved by Leverkusen keeper Jorg Butt.

Paul Robinson made two great saves from Andrej Voronin to keep Tottenham ahead - the second a brilliant reaction stop.

Bernd Schneider also saw a shot hit the post but Spurs were not to be denied.

Interview: Tottenham manager Martin Jol

Berbatov was easily the visitors' biggest threat on his return to the BayArena following his £10.9m summer move to White Hart Lane.

The Bulgarian striker was wearing a polo-neck jumper under his shirt to fight the freezing temperatures in Germany, but if the 25-year-old was feeling the cold he did not show it.

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He forced Butt into the first save of the match just after the half-hour mark when he was fed by Didier Zokora on the edge of the box and fired in a ferocious shot that the keeper was grateful to parry.

Butt was in action again moments later to save from Lennon after Robbie Keane's clever pass - but could do nothing to stop Berbatov tapping in the rebound.

And Berbatov, who was a big crowd favourite during five successful years at Leverkusen, should have scored again before the break.

The ball fell kindly for him when Butt came out to clear and collided with a defender - but with the goal at his mercy he tried to set up Lennon who was in an offside position.

Leverkusen did not manage a clear sight on goal until early in the second half when substitute Paul Freier fed Voronin but Paul Robinson kept out his shot with his legs.

Robinson was Tottenham's hero again soon after, somehow keeping out Voronin's shot after more good work from Freier on the right flank.

But Spurs remained dangerous and at the other end Berbatov should have wrapped things up when Steed Malbranque's cross found him with the goal at his mercy - but instead contrived to miss the ball completely.

Keane also fluffed his lines when clean through, not finding enough power in his shot to beat Butt - and the visitors were almost punished.

Schneider had been singled out by Jol as Leverkusen's danger man and he lived up to that billing by drilling a 25-yard shot against the post with Robinson beaten.

By now Leverkusen were seeing plenty of the ball but for long periods they failed to find a way through the Tottenham defence.

And they appeared to run out of steam in the final minutes with Pascal Chimbonda, Keane and subsitute Mido going close to extending Spurs' lead.

In the end Tottenham were able to comfortably claim their third win in three outings in Group B, leaving Jol to relax ahead of their next game against Dinamo Bucuresti on 14 December knowing his side are already through to the last 32.

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Tottenham boss Martin Jol on his side's failure to take more of their chances:
"When you have several chances and more situations where all we needed was a good final ball it is a disappointment.

"If Leverkusen had scored it would have been a disaster.

"We played as a team and played a bit better than them but you have to convert possibilities into goals."

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Bayer Leverkusen: Butt, Madouni, Juan, Ramelow (De Wit 80), Schneider, Rolfes, Barnetta (Schwegler 15), Barbarez, Castro, Voronin, Kiessling (Freier 46).
Subs Not Used: Domeschke, Stenman, Haggui, Athirson.

Tottenham: Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, King, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Tainio, Zokora, Malbranque (Huddlestone 68), Keane, Berbatov (Mido 76).
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Lee, Davenport, Ghaly, Defoe.

Goals: Berbatov 36.

Att: 22,500

Ref: Martin Hansson (Sweden).