Xavi labelled Gerard Pique a "Barca legend" after the defender played his final game at Camp Nou before retirement.

Barcelona's 2-0 home win against Almeria on Saturday was Pique's last outing at the famous stadium prior to hanging up his boots, with second-half goals from Ousmane Dembele and Frenkie de Jong sealing the victory, making up for Robert Lewandowski missing an early penalty.

An emotional Pique was substituted in the 84th minute, receiving a standing ovation from the 92,605 fans in attendance and hugging each of his team-mates as he went off for the final time.

Speaking after the game, Xavi praised his former team-mate, with the Barca head coach saying: "He had a great game, we wanted to send him off in the best possible way.

"The bigger the game for him, the better he performed. I have already told him that he is a Barca legend and we are very thankful."

Xavi also mentioned the "beautiful" reception Pique received, though pointed out that some fans had recently not been as kind to the player, whistling in displeasure at him during the 3-0 win against Villarreal last month.

"Everything is beautiful today," he added. "The game, the performance, which was phenomenal. The tribute to Pique... We have to reconsider many times when we whistle at footballers. That doesn't add up.

"What adds up is this, 15 days ago there was whistling [at Pique]. He deserves this farewell. We have to realise that whistling doesn't help."

Appropriately for Pique, it was another clean sheet, meaning Barca have only conceded in one of their last 12 league games, which was the 3-1 defeat in El Clasico at Real Madrid, the only LaLiga game they have not won in that period.

Barca have conceded just four goals after 13 league games, equalling the lowest tally conceded at this stage of the competition in the top-flight (also four by Atletico Madrid in 1995-96).

Xavi was satisfied with the points that send Barca back to the top of LaLiga ahead of Madrid's trip to Rayo Vallecano on Monday, but felt they could have scored more after having 27 shots, the most they have managed in a league game this season.

"It was a complete match," he said. "I think the result could have been greater, it did not reflect the superiority of the team, but it gives us three points to continue in the fight."

Gerard Pique insisted it is "not farewell" after playing his final game for Barcelona at Camp Nou before retirement.

Pique was substituted to a standing ovation in the 84th minute of Barca's 2-0 win against Almeria on Saturday after second-half goals from Ousmane Dembele and Frenkie de Jong had set the Blaugrana on their way to an 11th win in their last 12 LaLiga games.

The 35-year-old announced the imminent end to his playing career earlier in the week, with the club agreeing to mutually terminate his contract prior to the start of the World Cup in Qatar later this month.

It is not yet clear whether Pique will play any part in Barca's final game before then, away to Osasuna on Tuesday, but it seems unlikely given his emotional departure against Almeria in which he hugged each of his team-mates.

Addressing the fans after the game with a microphone in hand, a tearful Pique said: "To want is to let go. There is so much love and passion between Barca and me.

"It was time to leave... [but] I am convinced that in the future I'll be here again. I already left and came back.

"This is not a farewell. I have been a member since I was born here, and I will die here."

The Barca players adorned special shirts before the game with "Sempr3" emblazoned on the front and Pique's name and number on the back, with the word 'sempre' meaning 'always' in Spanish, and Pique's number three replacing the 'e'.

Sergio Busquets also paid tribute to his team-mate with whom he has played at Barca since 2008 after the game, saying: "He leaves and incredible legacy. Playing for Barcelona means more to him than it does to anyone and we are going to miss him."

Olivier Giroud was "angry" with himself for forgetting he had already been booked when he whipped off his shirt to celebrate scoring Milan's late winner against Spezia.

Giroud came off the bench to snatch a 2-1 victory for the Rossoneri with an 89th-minute volley after being picked out by a superb Sandro Tonali pass.

The France striker was then given his marching orders, having been shown a yellow card six minutes before scoring his decisive goal.

Giroud has been in the thick of the action this week, scoring two goals and providing as many assists in a 4-0 thrashing of Salzburg that put Stefano Pioli's side in the Champions League round of 16.

The 36-year-old was frustrated that his earlier caution had slipped his mind after his clinical finish in the closing stages at San Siro.

"It was certainly a very nice goal, which came thanks to Tonali's assist," he told Sky Sport. "We wanted to win this match, the important thing is to have three points more in the standings but I'm angry because I forgot about the first yellow card."

Asked if he was not thinking clearly due to the ecstasy of scoring the winner, he replied: "Yes, football is like that. The adrenaline and the happiness of having given victory to the team after a difficult match has affected me.

"In my head I am still a child, but I have great faith in the team and also on Tuesday [against Cremonese] we will fight to win the three points."

Theo Hernandez put Milan in front with a first-half volley from close range, but Daniel Maldini equalised against his parent club with Spezia's first away goal of the season.

Tonali had a goal ruled out at 1-1 for a foul on M'Bala Nzola by Fikayo Tomori following a VAR check, but Giroud moved them six points behind Napoli in second place after the leaders beat Atalanta 2-1 earlier on Saturday.

Barcelona eased to a 2-0 win against Almeria in Gerard Pique's final game at Camp Nou before retirement.

Goals from Ousmane Dembele and Frenkie de Jong made up for an early missed penalty from Robert Lewandowski, but it was always going to be Pique's occasion.

The 35-year-old centre-back played 82 minutes before being substituted, leaving the field to a standing ovation from every one of the 92,605 in attendance on Saturday as he tearfully hugged each of his team-mates.

Barca's win was their 11th in their last 12 league games and sent them back to the top of LaLiga before Real Madrid's trip to Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

A VAR check saw Barca rewarded a sixth-minute penalty when Ferran Torres' header hit Kaiky Fernandes' arm but Lewandowski saw his spot-kick clip the outside of the left post after a stuttered run-up.

Despite Barca's dominance, a sloppy pass from De Jong was pounced on by Largie Ramazani and Marc-Andre ter Stegen reacted quickly to close down his shot.

It took less than three minutes of the second half for the hosts to find the opener as a long ball out to the right from Sergio Busquets found Dembele, who cut inside onto his left foot and beat two defenders before calmly rolling his shot into the far corner of the net.

Their lead was doubled just after the hour as a cross from the left by Jordi Alba found Ansu Fati, whose shot was saved well by Fernando Martinez before De Jong lashed home the rebound to seal the win as the Camp Nou bid farewell to Pique with a victory.

Olivier Giroud scored a late winner and was sent off for his celebration as Milan beat Spezia 2-1 to go second in Serie A.

Theo Hernandez put the Rossoneri on course for back-to-back wins after they hammered Salzburg to qualify for the Champions League round of 16 in midweek.

Daniel Maldini, son of Milan legend Paolo, then stunned his parent club by scoring Spezia's first away goal of the season to equalise in the second half.

There was late drama at San Siro, though, as Giroud came off the bench to volley an 89th-minute winner before being shown a second yellow card for whipping off his shirt.

 

Massimiliano Allegri is set to make a number of late calls on his Juventus XI for Sunday's Derby d'Italia, with Dusan Vlahovic still not fully fit.

Vlahovic has not featured for the Bianconeri since their costly Champions League defeat to Benfica in the middle of last week.

And the Serbia striker may not return in time to take on Inter this weekend, as Allegri revealed an ongoing groin issue at his pre-match news conference on Saturday.

The coach could at least offer a more positive update on Angel Di Maria and Bremer, who are both back in the fold, although he would not confirm the role of either player at Allianz Stadium.

"[Di Maria and Bremer] are recovered – the only doubt is Vlahovic, because he is not well and tomorrow I have to evaluate," Allegri said.

"On Bremer and Di Maria, I have to decide whether to let both play or just one, but I have to evaluate."

Pressed further on Vlahovic, he replied: "We don't know if he's okay, because he's missed sessions.

"If he is well and tells me he is available, he will be on the bench; otherwise, it is useless to bring a player who cannot play."

Allegri added he would also "evaluate and decide" whether Di Maria and Bremer may be able to start on Sunday.

"The important thing is to have everyone available," he said.

Should they line up on the bench, they would likely join Federico Chiesa, whose successful return to action following an ACL tear has given his coach "a pleasant surprise".

"Now, I just have to increase his minutes," Allegri said. "Tomorrow he will definitely be part of the game."

As Inter coach Simone Inzaghi had earlier in the day, Allegri played down the importance of this match in the context of the season.

But Allegri acknowledged the need for Juve to get a result in this fixture, having taken only a single point against the Nerazzurri last term.

"It would be important [to move above Inter], but the season is long," he said. "Last year we never beat them, and we will have to do everything we can to reverse the trend."

Dominic Calvert-Lewin's slim hopes of making England's World Cup squad may be at an end after he went down injured for Everton on Saturday.

Calvert-Lewin went to Euro 2020 as Harry Kane's back-up, having scored a career-high 16 Premier League goals in the prior season.

But the Everton forward appeared for a mere combined 17 minutes across two substitute appearances at the finals and has scarcely been fit since.

Calvert-Lewin was restricted to 15 league starts last season, scoring five goals, while Saturday's match against Leicester City saw him included in the XI for only the fourth time this term.

A sole goal against Crystal Palace meant Calvert-Lewin always faced an uphill struggle to reclaim his place in the England set-up.

His last international cap came at the Euros, since when Tammy Abraham and Ivan Toney have been included in Three Lions squads, while Callum Wilson – another oft-injured striker – is fit and in form.

Another Calvert-Lewin setback on Saturday may represent the final straw, with the striker going down in the second half at Goodison Park and quickly being replaced by Neal Maupay.

Gareth Southgate is set to name his final 26-man England squad for the World Cup next week, having kept his provisional 55-man group private.

It is reported Wilson – seemingly the favourite to serve as Kane's understudy – was included in that initial selection.

Alphonso Davies is suspected to have suffered a hamstring strain and now faces an anxious wait to learn whether he will be fit to feature for Canada at the World Cup.

Davies was forced off in the 64th minute of Bayern Munich's thrilling 3-2 win at Hertha Berlin on Saturday, a result which – at least temporarily – moved them ahead of Union Berlin at the Bundesliga summit.

The left-back, who plays in attack for Canada, was seen clutching his right hamstring as he walked gingerly from the field, causing concern for his country ahead of their World Cup opener against Belgium on November 23.

Speaking after Bayern's fourth league win in a row, concerned coach Julian Nagelsmann said: "In terms of that injury, we have to wait until tomorrow. The doctor says there is at least one fibre tear.

"Wait and see what comes out tomorrow."

After Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's brace allowed Bayern to build on Jamal Musiala's opener, Hertha fought their way back into the match at the end of a remarkable first half, and Nagelsmann was under no illusions as to the importance of the win.

"It wasn't an easy game. We had a couple of good moments in the first half; it was a wild game," he said.

"We led 3-0, but we didn't have any clear actions. The lead was generally a bit too much. Then we got into a phase in which we didn't manage much.

"It got exciting again. In the end, we threw everything in; it was a game that you have to win."

Youssoufa Moukoko chalked up a Bundesliga record as he became the youngest player in the competition's history to reach 10 career goals – and number 10 was something special.

At the age of 17 years and 350 days, Moukoko showed why he is so highly regarded as his dazzling double helped Borussia Dortmund win 3-0 against visitors Bochum on Saturday.

Moukoko hit the opener in the eighth minute, fending off a challenge outside the penalty area before crashing a 22-yard strike with his left foot that arrowed just beneath the crossbar.

That took him to double figures, and an 11th Bundesliga goal for Moukoko followed shortly before half-time when he caught goalkeeper Manuel Riemann well off his line and lobbed in from close to 35 yards.

Between those goals, Giovanni Reyna scored a penalty for Dortmund, who allowed Moukoko a rest late on, substituting the star of the show.

The double for the teenager made him the third-youngest player to hit two goals in a Bundesliga game, with Opta confirming only Kai Havertz (17y 343d) and Timo Werner (17y 249d) have done so at a younger age.

Bayern Munich moved to the top of the Bundesliga table as Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting hit a brace in a thrilling 3-2 win at Hertha Berlin on Saturday.

Choupo-Moting scored twice in as many first-half minutes after Jamal Musiala opened the scoring, but Hertha clawed their way back into contention in an incredible opening period.

Goals from Dodi Lukebakio and Davie Selke, the latter from the spot, reignited the contest before the break, but Hertha never came close to equalising in a quieter second half.

Julian Nagelsmann's men consequently claimed their fourth consecutive Bundesliga win, moving two points clear of Union Berlin ahead of their trip to Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.

Manuel Neuer, returning to the side, saved from Lukebakio early on, but Bayern took the lead with their first attack as Musiala collected Sadio Mane's pass before firing into the bottom-left corner after 12 minutes.

Choupo-Moting looked to have taken the game away from Hertha with his quickfire double, responding to Leon Goretzka's blocked shot to finish below Oliver Christensen before prodding home following a goalmouth scramble one minute later.

But Hertha responded in excellent fashion as Lukebakio volleyed Marco Richter's cross beyond Neuer and they reduced the deficit further when Benjamin Pavard pushed Selke in the area, the forward then converting from the spot on the stroke of half-time.

Bayern were denied a fourth as Alphonso Davies was found to have been offside when Marc-Oliver Kempf put through his own net after the break, before the Bayern left-back limped from the field after appearing to sustain a hamstring injury.

The second half was played out at a far slower pace than the first, with Nagelsmann's side holding on to their slender advantage after producing a controlled performance.

Alphonso Davies could face an agonising wait to see if he will be able to feature at the World Cup after sustaining an apparent hamstring injury.

Bayern Munich full-back Davies, who along with Lille striker Jonathan David is one of Canada's leading lights heading to Qatar, was forced off in the 64th minute of Saturday's Bundesliga clash with Hertha Berlin.

The 22-year-old was holding his right hamstring as he walked gingerly off the field to be replaced by Lucas Hernandez.

Canada, who will be co-hosts in 2026, have qualified for just their second World Cup, having last appeared at the tournament in 1986. They have been drawn in Group F alongside Belgium, Morocco and Croatia.

Romelu Lukaku will not play again for Inter before going to the World Cup with Belgium, Simone Inzaghi has confirmed.

Lukaku's return to San Siro on loan this season has been disrupted by injury.

The Chelsea striker has been limited to just 255 minutes of action across five appearances in all competitions, starting three matches and scoring once.

Lukaku made his comeback from a thigh problem against Viktoria Plzen late last month but was quickly ruled out again.

Coach Inzaghi was initially hopeful Inter would see Lukaku before the Serie A season breaks for the World Cup, but he has now accepted defeat.

The Nerazzurri play Juventus on Sunday, then both Bologna and Atalanta next week.

Lukaku will hope to feature when Belgium begin their Qatar 2022 campaign against Canada on November 23.

Speaking ahead of the Derby d'Italia, Inzaghi said: "We will be without him, without [Danilo] D'Ambrosio and with [Alessandro] Bastoni to evaluate because he had a fever.

"It is normal for a coach to want to have all his weapons, but we know that playing so much there are difficulties in organising with all the team.

"Lukaku will do another test next week; unlike last time, I can say that I don't think he will be there for the last game.

"I'm sorry, because he worked so hard to be there. We will wait for him after the break, because we know he can give us a great hand."

Inter are sixth in Serie A and Juve eighth heading into Sunday's game, but Inzaghi does not believe their title hopes are on the line.

"We know how much it matters, but we also know that there are 25 games to go," he said. "In a week, there will be a break for the World Cup, and then there will be more than one round.

"We know how important it is, but also how long there is until the end. Tomorrow is very important for both [teams], yes."

Wayne Parnell explained the motivation he takes from Cristiano Ronaldo as the bowler looked towards South Africa's T20 World Cup clash with the Netherlands.

Ronaldo has altered his goal celebration as of late, replacing his famous "Siu" with a "peace of mind" gesture, seemingly in response to his trouble at Manchester United this season.

It is a celebration that has been copied at the T20 World Cup by South Africa paceman Parnell, standing with his eyes closed, fingers crossed in front of his chest and his head rolled back.

Parnell has taken five wickets so far in Australia, helping South Africa to two victories in Group 2. Ahead of their final match of the pool stage against the Netherlands on Sunday, the Proteas sit in second place, and a victory over the Dutch would guarantee their place in the last four.

And in his pre-match press conference, Parnell explained how he takes inspiration from one of the world's finest footballers.

He said: "It's the Ronaldo celebration. He has always been one of my favourite footballers, and I've obviously followed his career quite closely.

"And I think I've kind of taken on some stuff that he has been going through, you know, as a professional athlete and someone that's very competitive and passionate about doing well.

"That's something that I've always wanted to do as well is contribute to the team's success."

It is not all about emulating an idol, though. For Parnell, it is also about enjoying playing in front of crowds again following the coronavirus pandemic.

"It's just about having fun as well," Parnell added, "I think, you know, we're very lucky to be playing this sport and to be able to do it on this world stage.

"Obviously, there's no COVID, so we have fans back, and it's just about entertaining everyone."

Looking ahead to South Africa's must-win game on Sunday, Parnell said: "I think now it's just really simple. If you actually look at it, tomorrow is basically a quarter-final. Then obviously if we win that, we go to a semi-final. If we win that, we go to the final.

"In a way it's actually worked out well where we are under a certain amount of pressure to obviously get through, but I always like to look at it from a positive point of view where it's basically a quarter-final. It's just about winning it really."

Edinson Cavani is set to miss Valencia's match against Real Sociedad on Sunday as he battles an ankle injury just two weeks out from the World Cup.

The Uruguay forward joined Valencia at the start of this season after his Manchester United contract expired and has scored four goals in seven LaLiga games.

However, the 35-year-old's hopes of having an impact at his fourth and likely final World Cup have been hit by a recurring ankle problem.

Valencia have tried to protect Cavani, who has completed 90 minutes only once this season.

But that full shift against Mallorca last month was followed by an early withdrawal against Barcelona, with the striker replaced after just 18 minutes.

Cavani missed training on Saturday, and Valencia coach Gennaro Gattuso accepted it was "difficult" to see how he could face La Real.

"He's not right," Gattuso said. "He has had problems in the ankle for a long time."

 

Cavani at least has a little time to get fit to feature for Uruguay, whose Qatar 2022 opener is not until November 24 against South Korea.

But Gattuso insisted the player's primary focus was featuring for Valencia, dismissing the idea he was sitting out only due to the spectre of the World Cup.

"I've played three World Cups, none of them in December," the coach said. "I've always been a little scared, but I didn't think about whether I was going to get injured.

"Cavani's problem is his ankle. He's playing with great responsibility, but it's something that he's carried for a long time."

Lionel Messi will miss Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 trip to Lorient after suffering from inflammation in his Achilles tendon, but Christophe Galtier expects him to return before the World Cup. 

Messi has been in spectacular form during his second season with PSG, recording 26 goal contributions (12 goals, 14 assists) in all competitions this campaign.

With just over two weeks to go until Argentina's World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia, however, a PSG medical update sparked fears over Messi's condition by ruling him out of Sunday's match.

The club said Messi would miss that fixture as a precautionary measure before returning to training next week, and Galtier expects him to be available against Auxerre on November 13.

"Messi has inflammation in his tendon," Galtier said at Saturday's pre-match news conference. "I think he will be available for our next game, just like Presnel Kimpembe, who is still in rehabilitation.

"He should be back for the Auxerre game."

The packed pre-World Cup schedule has been heavily criticised amid a swathe of injuries to big-name players including Paul Pogba, Son Heung-min and Reece James, leading some onlookers to suggest players may play with caution ahead of the tournament.

While some coaches, including Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti and Tottenham's Antonio Conte, have said their players will not be thinking about the World Cup, Galtier revealed he regularly discusses such considerations with his own squad.

"We have played a lot, it is a very intense season, and that is the case for everyone, and we must not hide from that, of course, it generates fatigue," Galtier said.

"Usually, our last Champions League group game is in mid-December. Having so many weeks with Champions League games has taken up a lot of energy.

"There are no excuses, that's how it is. Of course, we are a bit tired, we are worn out. 

"Of course, every player that may be involved at the World Cup has that fear in their heads, even more so when the Champions League group stage has finished, with all those fixtures.

"You might have that in your head as a player. I often speak to the players and listen to them. We have to listen to them and they can tell us anything. 

"If someone is apprehensive, I tell them to have faith in what we put forward here in training. If a player comes to me and says they don't want to play, he won't play."

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