Athens - Age seems to have become a problem for Juventus star Alessandro Del Piero, whose impressive form was not enough to grant him a spot in Marcello Lippi's squad as the world champions Wednesday visit Greece for a friendly in Athens.

Lippi decided to leave home the 34-year-old striker despite the three memorable goals he scored as Juve beat giants Real Madrid in two Champions League games.

For Del Piero's millions of fans worldwide, however, it may be hard to criticize Lippi for preferring other players to an icon who will be almost 36 in 2010, when the Azzurri are set to defend their World Cup title in South Africa.

Madrid  - A Saturday night of surprises in Spain saw defeats for Real Madrid and Valencia.

Real crashed 1-0 in Valladolid, a defeat which could call for the sacking of embattled coach Bernd Schuster.

Later on Saturday, Valencia went down 3-2 in Mestalla to Sporting Gijon, their second successive home defeat.

These results leave Real and Valencia in joint third place, together on 23 points.

Rome - Two Zlatan Ibrahimovic's classy feats Saturday gave Inter Milan a 2-0 win against Palermo and kept the reigning champions at the top in the Italian Serie A.

The powerful Swede surprised veteran goalkeeper Alberto Fontana right after the break with a fast drive from outside the area that grazed the far post before inflating the goal.

Madrid - A 1-0 defeat away to hard-working Valladolid on Saturday leaves Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster in jeopardy.

The defeat confirms Real's massive crisis, coming as it does just four days after crashing out of the King's Cup against third division Union Irun.

Schuster may be sacked before Tuesday's Champions League clash away to BATE Borislav. Towards the end of the tense clash, he looked dejected, dispirited - and even resigned to his fate.

London - Chelsea strolled back to the top of English Premier League football on Saturday with a 3-0 win at bottom side West Bromwich Albion on Saturday after title challengers Liverpool had earlier displaced them with a 2-0 win over Bolton Wanderers.

Only goal difference separates the two sides at the top of the table, with both teams sitting on 32 points, 5 clear of champions Manchester United, who thrashed Stoke City 
5-0. That win saw United overtake Arsenal, who were humbled 2-0 at home by Aston Villa.

Hamburg - Bayer Leverkusen downed Schalke 2-1 to stay top of the Bundesliga on Saturday, while Bayern Munich lost ground after conceding two late goals in a 2-2 draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Hoffenheim meanwhile stayed second, level on 28 points with Leverkusen but with a slightly inferior goal difference after edging Wolfsburg 3-2.

Bayern were left three points behind in third place after they were hit by two late goals in two minutes at lowly Moenchengladbach.