Real lose: Real Madrid's poor run of form continued last night when the Primera Liga champions lost 1-0 at struggling Real Valladolid and missed the chance to take over from Barcelona at the top of the table. Midfielder Fabian Canobbio found space on the edge of the penalty area and the Uruguayan lashed a left-foot shot high into the net past Iker Casillas for Valladolid's winning goal.

Pirlo: Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo should return to action in next weekend's league game at Torino after two months out with a thigh problem, coach Carlo Ancelotti told a news conference. "We are improving and will improve even more with Pirlo's reintroduction next week. For me he is the best player in the world in his role and I cannot wait for him to return," said Ancelotti.

'Crazy' fans: Fans of an Argentine second division club hijacked two public buses and ordered the drivers to take them to their team's game, police said on Friday. Police official Carlos Durante said that in two separate incidents in Buenos Aires on Thursday night, Chacarita Juniors supporters forced passengers to get off the vehicles and told the drivers to take them to the stadium where their side was playing Talleres.

Snooker: Bahrain Championship final - N. Robertson bt M. Stevens 9-7.

Basket, NBA: Allen Iverson scored 25 points to propel the Detroit Pistons to a 106-95 road win over the previously unbeaten Los Angeles Lakers. Iverson, who joined the Pistons from Denver last week, led five Detroit players in double-figure scoring as Detroit improved to 7-2, while the Lakers slipped to 7-1. The Pistons got 25 points and 15 rebounds from Rasheed Wallace along with 18 points from Tayshaun Prince.

Olympics: Andrew Hunt, the head of a security firm, has been appointed new chief executive of the British Olympic Association. The 44-year-old succeeds Simon Clegg, who will become chef de mission for the British team in the run-up to the London 2012 Olympics.