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."

Russell Henley carded the lowest 54-hole score of the season to pull six strokes clear at the final turn at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba on Saturday.

The 33-year-old American carded a six-under-par 65, following on from successive rounds of 63 to hold a significant advantage from the nearest contenders, Will Gordon and Patton Kizzire at 16 under. Henley has tallied 191 across the three rounds at El Camaleon Golf Club.

Only four players had a better third round than Henley, who went into the day's play with a three-shot lead. Henley's long putt for birdie on the par-three 15th hole was his 22nd birdie of the tournament.

Seamus Power, who won last week's Butterfield Bermuda Championship, enjoyed the round of the day with an eight-under 63 to be alone in third.

Power's round included four birdies and two eagles, with one of the latter being a 138-yard hole-in-one on the eighth.

The Irishman is behind Gordon and Kizzire at 15 under, with Troy Merritt and Brian Harman one shot behind at 14 under. Reigning back-to-back champion Viktor Hovland is a further stroke behind among a group of four players.

Greyson Sigg, who is 13-under overall, aced the 10th to join Power and make it two holes-in-one on the same day in excellent conditions.

Joel Dahmen went within a whisker of the second-ever hole-in-one on a par four in PGA Tour history, when his massive approach landed inches away from the flag on the 17th hole.

Caroline Garcia came out on top in an almighty battle with Daria Kasatkina to complete the WTA Finals semi-final line-up on Saturday.

The winner of the Tracy Austin Group match in Fort Worth knew they would face Maria Sakkari in the last four and it was world number six Garcia who got the job done.

Frenchwoman Garcia won 4-6 6-1 7-6 (7-5) in a topsy-turvy contest that was finally settled in two hours and 27 minutes.

Kasatkina won four games in a row to take the opening set, but sixth seed Garcia stormed back to level the match in emphatic fashion as her aggressive approach paid off.

Russian Kasatkina twice came from a break down in a tense decider and fended off six break points in the ninth game of the final set to hold for a 5-4 lead, but Garcia held her nerve in the tie-break to advance.

Garcia and Sakkari will do battle for a place in the final on Sunday, with the winner facing either Iga Swiatek or Aryna Sabalenka.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Garcia- 42/48
Kasatkina - 16/26

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Garcia - 4/2
Kasatkina - 1/8

BREAK POINTS WON

Garcia - 6/14
Kasatkina - 5/7

Novak Djokovic lavished Holger Rune with the highest praise before their showdown in the Paris Masters final, declaring: "He kind of reminds me of myself."

Serbian superstar Djokovic scraped past Stefanos Tsitsipas in their semi-final on Saturday, snatching a 6-2 3-6 7-6 (7-4) victory.

Now 19-year-old Danish player Rune awaits the 21-time grand slam winner in Sunday's title match, a clash of generations that is full of promise.

It will be a record 56th Masters 1000 final for Djokovic, and a first for Rune, who will climb to 10th in the world should he win.

Rune is already assured of at least 12th position on the ATP list, a career-high, after knocking out four top-10 players this week: Hubert Hurkacz, Andrey Rublev, Carlos Alcaraz – who retired when trailing in their quarter-final – and Felix Auger-Aliassime, who he beat 6-4 6-2 on Saturday.

In his entire young career before this week, Rune had only beaten four players from the top 10, so this week marks a significant step, no matter how the final goes.

"No doubt that he's the future of the sport, along with Alcaraz and some other guys," Djokovic said. "Hopefully I can suspend his first title Masters 1000 event. We get along really well, good friends off the court.

"Of course on the court, we're competitors. I played him only once, at the last US Open, a good battle, four sets. He has improved a lot, no doubt. He physically is a very fit guy. He's young, so not much to lose. Just swinging through the ball.

"He kind of reminds me of myself, solid backhand and very good defence and just competitive, every point leaving his heart and his legs out there on the court. It's nice to see that. I think he's very good for our sport in general."

Djokovic said it was reassuring to fend off Tsitsipas, who had led by a break in the deciding tie-break.

"It means a lot mentally, emotionally for me, more than anything," said Djokovic. "I need to also make a statement that I'm still there with the young guys, that I'm able to compete with them and win such tight matches."

Six-time champion Djokovic has now reached an eighth final at this tournament, getting to the title match three times more than anyone else, with Boris Becker next on the list with five appearances.

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.

Damian Penaud's fantastic late score helped France to a record-breaking 11th straight Test victory in an exhilarating 30-29 win over Australia at the Stade de France on Saturday.

Playing their first game since securing a Six Nations Grand Slam, Les Bleus – many people's tip for glory at their home World Cup next year – were not always at their coherent best.

But the hosts earned a dramatic late win via Penaud to rack up the best run in the nation's history and break Australian hearts in a barnstorming encounter.

Bernard Foley and Thomas Ramos exchanged a couple of penalties and Charles Ollivon had a score ruled out by the time Lalakai Foketi touched down in sensational fashion for the visitors.

Turning defence into attack, Len Ikitau fed Tom Wright, who outstripped Penaud and fed inside to debutant full-back Jock Campbell before he in turn found Foketi for a 95-metre try.

A couple of Ramos three-pointers and a Julien Marchand try had France, somewhat flatteringly, six points in front at the break but - after Foley and Ramos exchanged penalties again - Campbell's debut score and five more points from Foley had Australia in front.

Ramos and Reece Hodge this time swapped three-pointers before late drama ensued. Matthieu Jalibert broke and found Penaud, who jockeyed outside then inside Campbell before touching down and sending France into next week's encounter with world champions South Africa on the back on an enthralling triumph.

England striker Ivan Toney is hoping his World Cup dream will not be shattered after it was revealed he is under investigation for betting on football matches.

The Sun and Daily Mail newspapers reported Brentford star Toney faces allegations of placing bets in the early stages of his career, before shooting to stardom.

The newspaper said there was no suggestion of any criminal activity or match-fixing; however, the Football Association strictly forbids all gambling on football by professional players.

The 26-year-old Toney reacted to the story by confirming he is "assisting the Football Association with their enquiries", while stressing he wants to go to Qatar 2022 with Gareth Southgate's national team.

Toney posted on Twitter: "I'm aware of a story about me in a national newspaper today.

"I have been assisting the Football Association with their enquiries and will not be making any comment until such investigation has reached its inclusion.

"I am a proud Englishman and it has always been my childhood dream to play for my country at a World Cup finals."

Brentford said in a statement: "We note the story concerning Ivan Toney and the FA investigation. The club will not be commenting."

Toney, who joined Brentford from Peterborough in 2020, was called up by Southgate for the first time in September but did not play in the Nations League games against Italy and Germany.

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.

New Zealand benefited from a controversial penalty en route to a 24-18 defeat of Fiji after rallying to avoid a repeat of their quarter-final exit to the Bati at the previous Rugby League World Cup.

The Kiwis booked a mammoth last-four meeting with defending champions Australia but only after staring down another shock loss to Fiji in Hull.

The sole previous meeting between the sides had also come in the quarters five years ago, with New Zealand on the end of a 4-2 upset.

It quickly became clear this would not be another low-scoring affair, albeit only because Fiji raced into a 12-0 lead with a pair of superb tries from Maika Sivo and Kevin Naiqama.

Even when Ronaldo Mulitalo got the world's top-ranked side on the board, Naiqama ran in again after half-time to restore the underdogs' advantage.

But the Bati could not hold out, with Briton Nikora's response followed by a levelling try from Joseph Manu with 18 minutes to play.

Manu was involved again in the game's decisive moment as Fiji were harshly punished for a supposed strip that allowed Jordan Rapana to kick a penalty, putting New Zealand in front for the first time before the same man added a try at the death.

Indiana Pacers guard Chris Duarte will likely miss four-to-six weeks after sustaining a Grade 2 ankle sprain in Friday's 101-99 victory over the Miami Heat.

Duarte was coming off a career-high, 30-point performance in Monday's 116-109 road loss to the Brooklyn Nets before stepping on the foot of Heat guard Kyle Lowry in the first quarter on Friday.

Duarte was a second-team All-Rookie selection last season after the 13th overall pick in 2021 averaged 13.1 points per game, sixth-most among all first-year players in the NBA.

He has averaged 8.9 points in nine games, including five starts, this season for an Indiana team that has won three of four following a 1-4 start.

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."