Real slip up but still hang on

Round-up - Spain: Real Madrid maintained their three-point lead at the top of the Spanish first division after Deportivo La Coruna and Alaves both failed to take advantage of the 28-times champions only drawing 1-1 with Real Betis yesterday.

Deportivo could only draw 1-1 at fellow championship challengers Athletic Bilbao while Alaves crashed 4-0 at home to Real Mallorca.

Spanish international midfielder Ivan Helguera made up for his dismal midweek performance in the Spanish Cup against Athletic by getting Madrid's goal just before the break.

Helguera won the ball on the edge of the Betis box and then played a brilliant one-two with Zinedine Zidane, before finishing off the move with a flourish.

Iker Casillas then came to Madrid's rescue midway through the second half by saving a controversially-awarded penalty from Gabriel Amato.

Santiago Solari looked to have secured all three points for Madrid after 77 minutes after finding the net with a header, only to see the goal disallowed for a foul by the Argentine winger.

Betis then got their barely deserved share of the points when Juanito Gutierrez headed the equaliser two minutes from time.

ITALY: AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said last night that he would bide his time before acting despite a 3-2 home defeat by Udinese at the San Siro.

Just 24 hours earlier, Galliani had warned his team that sweeping changes would be made at the end of the campaign unless Milan reached its minimum objective of fourth place and qualification for the Champions League.

And despite the abject nature of the result - Milan had led 2-0 before capitulating - Galliani insisted that remained the case.

"This is a serious defeat, which weighs on the directors, coaches and players," said Galliani who is de facto head of the club as president Silvio Berlusconi is concentrating on his role as Italy's prime minister.

Elsewhere, Juventus defeated Chievo 3-1 away, while AS Roma overcame Piacenza 2-0 in the capital.