Coach Martin Jol hailed Hamburg’s 1-0 win over Bayern Munich on Friday as the best moment of his time in charge as a first-half header from Croatian striker Mladen Petric took his side top.
On the first day of the second half of the German league season, following the six-week winter break, Bayern suffered only their third defeat of the campaign so far having been humbled by Werder Bremen and Hannover last year.
Petric’s goal puts Hamburg a point clear at the top of the Bundesliga.
PHOTO: AP
“That was the highlight of my time in charge of Hamburg,” said former Spurs coach Jol.
Hamburg were without banned Croatian striker Ivica Olic, who was sent off for fighting in a friendly with Hoffenheim earlier this month, while Bayern were buoyed by their 5-1 German Cup win over Stuttgart in midweek.
Hamburg made the brighter start when winger Piotr Trochowski hit the post after just six minutes, having beaten Bayern goalkeeper Michael Rensing.
Munich looked to have taken the lead when striker Luca Toni hit the back of the net just after the half-hour mark, having held off his marker, but a linesman’s flag ruled the goal offside.
The home side got the breakthrough they deserved when Czech midfielder David Jarolim drove his shot in from 35m out.
Rensing parried the attempt, but Mladen Petric pounced on the loose ball and headed past the stranded Bayern goalkeeper on 44 minutes.
Both sides squandered chances to score in the second half, but the best chance fell to Toni when his forward partner Miroslav Klose set up a clear chance, but the Italian could not connect with the ball. Then Hamburg keeper Frank Rost and Jerome Boateng combined to deny Klose at point-blank range.
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