Villarreal: Villarreal have registered their best start to a top-flight season with 21 points from nine games, the club said. Manuel Pellegrini's outfit achieved their highest finish as runners up to Real Madrid last year, and in their tenth Primera Liga campaign are a point behind leaders Barcelona. They face AaB Aalborg in the Champions League tomorrow.
Torres: Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez says striker Fernando Torres should be named this year's Ballon D'Or winner Torres, who scored Spain's winner in the Euro 2008 final and 24 league goals in his debut season in England, trails Cristiano Ronaldo of Man. United and Barcelona's Lionel Messi among the favourites for the December 2 gong. "He has scored a lot of goals and won the Euros with Spain. Ronaldo is also a very good player but I choose Fernando," Benitez said.
Adriano: Inter striker Adriano was named in Brazil's squad yesterday for this month's friendly at home to Portugal. Kaka was also included by Brazil coach Dunga but Ronaldinho was again overlooked.
Stielike: FC Sion parted company with German coach Ueli Stielike and chairman and owner Christian Constantin will take charge on an interim basis. The ex-Germany international quit the side after being told to submit his selections to the chairman for approval.
In England: Premier League - Newcastle 2 (Martins 60, 82) Aston Villa 0. The Championship - Birmingham vs Coventry City 0-1.
In Italy: Serie B - Ascoli vs Rimini 1-1; Livorno vs Brescia 2-0. Serie C1 (B) - Benevento vs Marcianise 1-1.
Athletics: Irina Mikitenko, of Germany, was declared World Marathon Majors women's champion and winner of its $500,000 prize by unanimous vote of race directors after she finished in a points tie with Gete Wami, of Ethiopia. Wami, winner of the bonus last year, needed to finish first or second in Sunday's New York City marathon to claim the prize outright. The Ethiopian finished sixth.
Motorcycling: World superbike champion Troy Bayliss put an end to his professional career with a win in the final round of the 2008 Superbike World Championship on Sunday. With a third title already wrapped up, the 39-year-old Australian grabbed first place in both races at the new Algarve International circuit.
Golf: Next season's Seve Trophy match between teams from Britain and Ireland and continental Europe may be held in Spain in honour of the tournament's Spanish founder Seve Ballesteros, who is in hospital after a third operation on a brain tumour. George O'Grady, chief executive of the European Tour, which has taken over the running of the biennial event, said world no. 3 Sergio Garcia had suggested the move.
Horse racing: Irish jockey John Egan was fined A$8,000 (US$5,369) for describing Australian veterinary surgeons as a "couple of tin pot Hitlers." Egan made the remark on the weekend after vets ordered his mount Yellowstone to undergo an additional fitness test before being allowed to run in today's Melbourne Cup. Yellowstone injured his hip in his stall last week and remains in doubt for the race.
MFA Division Three: Sta Lucija vs Mtarfa 1-0; Qrendi vs Mdina 1-4.