half goal gave Valladolid a 1-0 win over Real Madrid on Saturday to end the Spanish champion's nine-game unbeaten run and put further pressure on under-fire coach Bernd Schuster. Canobbio strolled into the area in the 48th minute and sent a rising drive over two Madrid defenders and goalkeeper Iker Casillas into the top of goal. Sergio Asenjo saved from Raul Gonzalez with three minutes remaining after the Madrid striker came clear on goal after a Valladolid giveaway, and Pedro Lopez headed Fabio Cannavaro's last-minute header off the line. Madrid, which finished with 10 men after Gabriel Heinze was ejected in the 89th, had not lost a league match since opening day. “We didn't deserve to lose,” said an angry Schuster, who refused to address questions about his future. “I'm not going to answer that because I don't deserve that kind of question. I'm centered on my work, these are difficult moments.” Madrid's poor run of results in the Champions League and its exit to a third-division club in the domestic cup competition this past week had Spanish media speculating that Schuster needed a victory at Valladolid to save his job. Valencia failed to take advantage of the chance to move to the top of the league by losing 2-3 to Sporting Gijon. Barcelona, which hasn't lost in any competition since August, leads with 25 points. Villarreal has 24, followed by Valencia and Madrid with 23. Valladolid joined Malaga and Getafe at 13 points in eighth after its fourth victory this season. Valladolid, which was coming off a 6-0 drubbing at Barcelona, had the first half's clearest chance 12 minutes in with Madrid defender Marcelo kicking Jose Antonio Garcia's close-range header off the line. Leon fed Canobbio at the top of the area and the Uruguayan forward calmly collected the ball before hitting the powerful left-footed drive home for his third goal of the campaign. Inter clear at top Inter Milan surged three points clear at the top of Serie A after a sublime double from Zlatan Ibrahimovic sealed a 2-0 win at Palermo on Saturday. The champion again failed to find its best form and relied on two moments of brilliance from the Swede, who first netted off the post with a swerving 20-meter shot just after halftime. He then blasted in an unstoppable free kick on 62 minutes to stun the mid-table Sicilians, who had been livelier in attack. Juventus had joined Inter at the top on Thursday following a 4-1 win over Genoa. AC Milan and Napoli can go above Juve and move within a point of the leaders if it beats Chievo and Atalanta respectively on Sunday. Maradona Scotland-bound New Argentina coach Diego Maradona set off Saturday for his first match in charge, a midweek friendly against Scotland in Glasgow on Wednesday. Maradona left accompanied by officials from the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) whose chairman, Julio Grondona, has been holding out against Maradona's wish to appoint 1986 World Cup-winning teammate Oscar Ruggeri as his assistant.
