Real Madrid stumbled to a costly 1-1 draw with Villarreal at home on Sunday to tighten the Spanish league title race.

Cristiano Ronaldo gave Madrid the lead in the 52nd minute with a penalty he earned and converted. But Madrid squandered Ronaldo's league-leading 30th goal of the season when it conceded a goal to Villarreal striker Gerard Moreno.

Youth and Sports Minister Abdel Motleb Hennawi stated on Monday that Lebanese fans will be banned from attending the basketball games following Sunday's skirmishes during a game between arch-rivals Riyadi and Sagesse, As Safir daily reported.

The minister held consultations with Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq where they agreed to ban fans from attending the games until the competition is over, the daily added.

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal confessed that Angel di Maria is struggling to adjust to English football after substituting him at half-time of United's 2-0 win over Sunderland.

After a promising start to his United career, following a club-record £59.7 million ($92.2 million, 82.3 million euros) transfer from Real Madrid, the form of the Argentina international has dipped.

Tim Sherwood insists he can still lead Aston Villa to Premier League survival even though their 27-year stay in the English top flight is under growing threat after a 1-0 defeat against Newcastle United.

Villa slumped to their seventh consecutive league loss after another lackluster display at St. James' Park on Saturday which cost them a chance to climb out of the bottom three.

AC Milan could only labor a goalless draw with Chievo in Serie A action on Saturday, leaving them ninth in the table, three off a potential European qualifying spot.

Welcoming back French defender Philippe Mexes after a three-game ban, Milan missed the chance to go up the table despite a third match undefeated.

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said Saturday a swathe of reforms aimed at streamlining Olympic tournaments and keeping costs in check were bearing early fruit, after Tokyo 2020 organizers unveiled changes to their plans designed to save more than $1 billion.

Last year in Monaco, the IOC passed 40 recommendations comprising their Olympic Agenda 2020, a roadmap for future Games and for the Olympic Movement.

Dynamic goal-scoring duo Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marco Reus celebrated Borussia Dortmund's 3-0 win over Schalke 04 in 'Batman' style to continue their side's rise up the table.

Hosts Dortmund hammered the visitors defense as Reus and Aubameyang contributed half of their side's 31 shots on goal, compared to Schalke's meagre three chances.

Roger Federer claimed the 84th title of his legendary career, kept his nose in front in his personal rivalry with Novak Djokovic, and equaled his best achievement at any tournament by winning the Dubai Open for the seventh time on Saturday.

The Grand Slam record-holder from Switzerland beat the world number one from Serbia 6-4, 7-5 in a colorful success which took Federer’s title haul here equal to those of Halle and Wimbledon. It also put him 20-17 up against Djokovic

Hundreds of runners competed in Hong Kong's first inner city ultra marathon on Sunday despite a repetitive two-kilometer course which has been criticized as simply too boring.

Ultra races -- defined as anything longer than the standard 42.2-kilometer (26.2-mile) marathon distance -- have taken off in Hong Kong in recent years, but are usually held on the extensive network of trails in the surrounding hills, where spectacular scenery can offset the pain.

Marseille collapsed dramatically from a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to Caen at the Stade Velodrome on Friday in a defeat that struck a major blow for the south coast giants' title hopes.

Andre Ayew and Andre-Pierre Gignac seemed to have sealed the deal for Marcelo Bielsa's team but Caen proved once again they were not to be underestimated.