Mifsud scores: Michael Mifsud scored Lillestrom's goal in a one-all draw away at lowly Sandefjord Fotball yesterday. The Malta forward put Lillestrom ahead on 54 minutes but the home side drew level from a penalty eight minutes later. With a few matches to go in the Norwegian league, Lillestrom have now fallen off the pace in the title race with Rosenborg leading the standings with 45 points, two ahead of Brann Bergen. Lillestrom are third on 38 points.
Ref in jail: Israeli referee Yohanan Cibutaru was jailed for three years by a Tel Aviv court yesterday for match-fixing. Cibutaru is the third Israeli official to have been jailed following a wide-ranging police investigation into the scandal launched in 2002. Charges were brought against 13 men in 2003. Some trials are still ongoing. According to the verdict read out at Tel Aviv Magistrates Court, Cibutaru admitted that in four separate matches involving second and third division clubs between 1997 and 2000, he tried to fix results to suit the desires of illegal betting rings.
Petrov: Atletico Madrid's Bulgaria winger Martin Petrov will be out of action for about six months after tearing his knee ligament during a league match on Saturday. The 27-year-old was taken off on a stretcher 10 minutes before half-time in the 2-1 victory over Recreativo Huelva after turning sharply competing for the ball with Santi Cazorla. Petrov is the second Atletico player to tear the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Leading scorer Maxi Rodriguez suffered the same injury playing for Argentina in a friendly against Spain on Wednesday.
Ronaldo: Brazil striker Ronaldo said he was unable to explain why he was sent off for the second time in his Real Madrid career during his side's 1-0 defeat at Getafe on Saturday. The 30-year-old was given his marching orders for picking up a second booking after saying something to the referee in the dying minutes of the game. His only previous sending off in Spain came two seasons ago when he kicked out at Juventus defender Alessio Tacchinardi in a 2-0 defeat in a Champions League first knockout round tie. He will now miss next Sunday's league clash against arch-rivals Barcelona. Referee Bernardino Gonzalez Vazquez said in his match report that the striker had received the booking for "making a clear protest against one of my decisions."
In France: Le Mans vs Nancy 0-0; R. Lens vs Marseille 1-1.