It may not have matched some of the stirring European battles of old but Tottenham achieved a narrow and hard-fought victory over Kaiserslautern at White Hart Lane last night.

Spurs enjoyed a marginal superiority throughout the game but were often uncomfortable in defending Steffen Iversen's penalty after half an hour.

They almost got off to a flier when, in the fourth minute, Mauricio Taricco hit the left post with a powerful drive following a David Ginola corner. They went as close again in the 18th minute when Sol Campbell's header was cleared off the line.

Kaiserslautern threatened only occasionally but in the 20th minute Martin Wagner's free-kick was deflected just wide.

In the 32nd minute a fine through ball from Ginola sent Iversen sprinting clear but he wasted the opportunity with a weak left-foot shot straight at the keeper. Within minutes, however, Spurs were ahead.

This time Ginola seemed determined to do the job himself but he was brought down by the goalkeeper Andreas Reinke. Despite having fluffed his earlier effort, Iversen stepped up to take the penalty and put the ball hard and low to the goalkeeper's right.

Tottenham: Walker, Carr, Perry, Campbell, Taricco, Fox (Clemence 90), Leonhardsen, Freund, Sherwood, Ginola, Iversen. Subs Not Used: Baardsen, Edinburgh, Vega, Dominguez, Young, Piercy. Goals: Iversen 34 pen.

Kaiserslautern: Reinke, Ramzy, Schjonberg, Roos (Komljenovic 74), Strasser, Sforza, Hristov, Wagner (Rische 46), Koch, Marschall, Ratinho (Buck 46). Subs Not Used: Petterson, Gospodarek, Sobotzik. Booked: Ramzy. Attendance: 35,177.

Referee: O Erdemir (Turkey).