MADRID-- Antonio Rudiger's second-half goal earned LaLiga leaders Real Madrid a 1-0 home win over Mallorca on Wednesday, extending their unbeaten league run to 13 games. The win moved Real up to 48 points, three ahead of surprise package Girona, who host third-placed Atletico Madrid later on Wednesday. Centre back Rudiger broke the deadlock in the 78th minute as he capitalised on some sloppy defending from Luka Modric's corner to power a header into the top corner and score his first goal of the season. "Great cross by Luka, great block by (Dani) Carvajal and luckily it went in," Rudiger told reporters. "I'm happy because it was an important goal and three important points for us. This team has something special, a good mix of young and old talent." Mallorca had mounted a resilient defensive display and came close to shocking Real with two efforts that hit the woodwork. Vinicius Jr also went close to scoring on his return to action after being sidelined with an injury but Mallorca keeper Predrag Rajkovic made a superb save to deny the Brazilian in the first half. "It's always a difficult game when you come back from holidays," Real defender Carvajal told Real Madrid TV. "Mallorca played a tactically very good game, very aggressive in defence. The set piece gave us the victory." "We close the first half of the season as possible leaders, 48 points is a lot. In the second half we'll be looking to surpass them." Real next visit fifth-tier Arandina in the first round of the Spanish Cup before taking on Atletico Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) throws during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium December 31. (Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports.)

NEW YORK--The Miami Dolphins, the Buffalo Bills and three AFC South clubs are among the eight NFL teams who control their own playoff destinies in Week 18. The Dolphins (11-5) will host the Bills (10-6) in the final game of the regular season Sunday night, with the winner clinching the AFC East title. The Dolphins would also get in with a tie, while the Bills still can wind up as the sixth or seventh seed in a few other scenarios, including a loss or tie by the Jacksonville Jaguars or Pittsburgh Steelers. The three-team race in the AFC South features the Jaguars, Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts, all currently 9-7. The Jaguars control their destiny to win the division title simply by beating the Tennessee Titans on Sunday afternoon, but when the Texans visit the Colts on Saturday night, the winner will be guaranteed at least a playoff bid. If Jacksonville loses to or ties with Tennessee, the Houston-Indianapolis winner will win the AFC South and the right to host a playoff game as the No. 4 seed. In the NFC, the Dallas Cowboys (11-5) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8) are one win away from clinching the NFC East and South titles, respectively. Dallas visits Washington on Sunday and can also secure the division banner if the Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) lose to the New York Giants. If the Eagles win and Dallas loses or ties -- or if the Eagles tie and the Cowboys lose -- then Philadelphia will lock up the NFC East crown despite a 1-4 December. Tampa Bay visits the league-worst Carolina Panthers, and if the Buccaneers tie, they'd still fend off the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons for the NFC South crown if New Orleans loses to or ties with Atlanta. The Saints (8-8) need to finish with a better record than the Buccaneers (8-8) to win the division, so they need a win and a Tampa Bay loss or tie, or a Saints tie plus a Bucs loss. The Falcons (7-9) can only win the division by beating the Saints and having the Buccaneers lose, forcing a three-way tie at 8-9 that Atlanta would win via tiebreaker. There is also one NFC wild-card spot still up for grabs, and in that race, the Green Bay Packers (8-8) control their destiny. They have six clinching scenarios for Week 18, but the simplest one is to beat the visiting Chicago Bears. Also in the chase are the Seattle Seahawks (8-8), the Minnesota Vikings (7-9), the Saints and the Buccaneers. The Seahawks will grab the wild-card berth if they beat the Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay loses or ties. If Seattle happens to tie with Arizona, a Green Bay loss and a loss or tie by either Tampa Bay or New Orleans would also let the Seahawks sneak in. The Vikings must beat the Detroit Lions and get losses from the Packers and Seahawks, plus a loss by either the Buccaneers or the Saints. The biggest prizes of the regular season were decided in Week 17 when the Baltimore Ravens (13-3) and San Francisco 49ers (12-4) clinched the No. 1 seeds in the AFC and NFC, respectively. The Ravens may choose to rest their players in Week 18 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh, at 9-7, still has a path to grab an AFC wild-card berth: 1. PIT win + BUF loss OR 2. PIT win + JAX loss or tie OR 3. PIT win + HOU-IND tie OR 4. PIT tie + JAX loss + HOU-IND doesn't end in tie OR 5. JAX loss + DEN win + HOU-IND doesn't end in tie.

  LONDON-- West Ham United missed out on a fourth successive Premier League victory as the festive fixtures concluded with a drab 0-0 draw at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday. Brighton would have moved above West Ham into sixth place with a victory but chances were few and far between at the London Stadium with a point apiece a fair outcome. Pascal Gross should have put Brighton in front shortly before halftime but his header was saved by Alphonse Areola while Adam Lallana went close to a late winner. Pablo Fornals should have done better for the hosts after the break and Tomas Soucek also prodded an effort wide. In the end West Ham, without African Cup of Nations-bound Mohammed Kudus and injured fellow midfielder Lucas Paqueta, appeared content to take the draw which left them in sixth spot with 34 points from 20 games. Brighton's first clean sheet of the season in the league moved them above Manchester United into seventh on goal difference with 31 points. While the game will not live long in the memory, both sides can embrace the New Year optimistically with European honours still possible and a challenge for a top-six place in the Premier League. "It was disappointing from our point of view because I think we controlled the game and created enough chances," Brighton's 37-year-old midfielder James Milner told Sky Sports. "But it was a solid performance especially with a couple of boys coming back who haven't had too much football." The evergreen Milner was making his 632nd Premier League appearance to move level with Ryan Giggs and only Gareth Barry (653) has played more matches in the competition West Ham won the reverse fixture earlier in the season -- ending a 13-match winless streak against Brighton. But they could not earn a first top-flight win at home against the south-coast club since 1983. "We had a couple of chances. Tomas Soucek had a great chance," West Ham boss David Moyes said. "We rode our luck a wee bit. It's been a really good Christmas period, three wins and a draw. No complaints."

South Africa’s Dean Elgar in action against India during their First Test at SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium, Centurion, South Africa. 

PRETORIA-- An unbeaten century from veteran Dean Elgar and fifty on debut from David Bedingham allowed South Africa to take an 11-run lead with five wickets in hand over India when bad light ended play on the second day of the first test at Centurion on Wednesday.