Luis Enrique believes Spain's performance in the first half of Saturday's defeat to Switzerland was their worst 45 minutes of his reign.

Spain slumped to a disappointing 2-1 loss in Zaragoza that leaves them trailing Portugal by two points in Nations League Group A2 heading into the last game.

That final group match is on Tuesday as Spain prepare to face the leaders in Braga, with Fernando Santos' side 4-0 winners over the Czech Republic on Saturday.

La Roja did not muster a single shot on target until Jordi Alba's 55th-minute equaliser at La Romareda, and Luis Enrique could not hide his disappointment at the showing.

"Losing is always something that hurts. It has been a pity, but we must value Switzerland, who from the beginning caused us many difficulties," the coach said.

"In the first half, it was the worst of my time as coach. [Then] we have badly defended the corner of their second goal.

"In the second half we improved. We have tried until the end. The key game is Portugal. We will go to Braga to win."

The manner of Saturday's loss clearly perturbed Luis Enrique, understandable given the World Cup starts in less than two months.

Yet, he is refusing to blow it out of proportion, adamant he does not need to re-evaluate his faith in the squad just because of one result.

Asked if the game generated doubts in relation to Qatar 2022, Luis Enrique replied: "No doubts.

"Obviously it's better to go to Qatar on a winning streak, but I have full confidence in the team. I have seen many players in the first half who have been more imprecise than ever, but the opponents are good, they know how they play.

"But everything doesn't always go well, when you don't have a good day, this happens.

"A victory against Portugal would be the perfect way to reach the World Cup. We have drawn three times with them and now we will go there to win."

Portugal only need a draw on Tuesday to seal their place in the Nations League Finals for the second time.

England manager Gareth Southgate is adamant he is the right man to lead the team into the World Cup despite a woeful run of form.

Defeat to Italy on Friday condemned the Three Lions to relegation in the Nations League, extending the winless streak to five matches in the process.

Southgate was jeered by England's travelling supporters at San Siro but, despite being under the most pressure he has been in his six-year stint in charge, believes he remains the best choice to take the team to Qatar.

"Without a doubt. We're playing and have been playing some top-level sides and we will be better for that," he said.

"And the younger players, in particular, that have been in these games will have learned a lot from them.

"In the past we've had runs of friendlies or whatever the matches are and then we've gone into tournaments and that's the first time we've hit high-level opposition and it's hit us in the face quite often.

"Now we know the level, now we know what we've got to improve and we'll be better placed for that by having had the quality of matches that we've had."

Southgate's views were echoed by England captain Harry Kane, who is confident the Three Lions will be back to their best in time for the start of the tournament in November.

"I believe we are going to be judged on how we perform out in Qatar. We're just in one of those moments where it's not quite going our way. We're confident we can turn that around," he stated.

"We have one more game on Monday to try to get some good feelings back. Ultimately, once we get to the World Cup, we will be ready for that first game and be fully focused on that.

"I don't think our confidence has been dented, but you want to win games. We are all experienced enough, with our clubs especially we have been through those moments when things haven't been going so well. It's about bouncing back."

Tyson Fury has warned Anthony Joshua he will "move on" if the contract for a fight in December is not signed by Monday.

A 'Battle of Britain' bout has risen to the top of the agenda following Fury presenting an offer to AJ after it became clear a unification bout against Oleksandr Usyk would not occur this year.

Joshua accepted terms for the bout but official confirmation has not yet arrived, with an apparent delay in the 2012 Olympian putting pen to paper on a deal.

That has led Fury to concede he is not optimistic about the fight taking place and made it clear he is happy to move on to fight someone else.

"They've had the opportunity to agree to this fight for about a month I'd say," he said ringside at Joseph Parker's fight against Joe Joyce in Manchester.

"They've had the contract for over a week, still not signed, still a few more excuses they're gonna come back with.

"We'll know more on Monday I think, the two broadcasters are gonna meet on Monday and then we'll know from there. If it's not done by Monday then I'm moving on.

"I'm not waiting around for some guy who's lost three of his last five fights, he's lucky that I'm giving him a world title shot.

"I'm sick of setting deadlines. They either want this poxy fight or they don't. I was just saying to somebody else before I don't mind inviting these people to my party but they're not gonna come to my party, my banquet, and try and dictate to me.

"They either wanna do it or they don't. And if they wanna do it, sign the contract, and if they don't, do one.

"This is the fight that I've been trying to make since 2017, and I've been unsuccessful every single time. I was optimistic three or four weeks ago that the fight might happen. Today, I'm not very optimistic.

"I'm definitely fighting on December 3, whoever it may be I don't really care."

Novak Djokovic played a vital role in Team Europe opening up a four-point lead in the Laver Cup as he won in singles and doubles upon his return to the ATP Tour after a three-month absence.

Djokovic had not played since taking his grand slam count to 21 with the Wimbledon title in July, but he looked as if he had hardly been away as the Serbian beat Frances Tiafoe and then teamed up with Matteo Berrettini in the doubles.

Tiafoe beat Rafael Nadal at the US Open earlier this month and combined with Jack Sock on Friday to defeat the Spaniard again in what was Roger Federer's last ever match, but the American could not get to grips with Djokovic in Saturday's final singles contest.

Djokovic's 6-1 6-3 win secured two points for Team Europe to put them out in front, and he was involved again in the last of the day's action as the team's advantage doubled to four points.

Berrettini and Djokovic tussled with Sock and Alex de Minaur and ultimately had too much, winning 7-5 6-2 in less than an hour and a half.

Earlier, Taylor Fritz's three-set triumph over Cameron Norrie put Team World briefly back on level terms.

Fritz made a brutal start but ended up being forced to a match tie-break, eventually coming through with a 6-1 4-6 10-8 victory.

That wiped out the two-point lead Berrettini had given Europe in the first match of the day, with the Italian edging Saturday's most gruelling tussle.

He saw off Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6 (13-11) 4-6 10-7, and despite finding himself on court for over two hours, Berrettini was still sharp enough to emerge victorious alongside Djokovic.

Diogo Dalot insists Portugal's approach in their final Nations League Group A2 game against Spain will not be any different after rising to the top of the table.

A comfortable 4-0 victory over the Czech Republic in Prague, where the Manchester United full-back scored a brace, came alongside a surprising 2-1 defeat for Spain against Switzerland.

Those results set up a decisive match between Portugal and Spain on Tuesday in Braga, where the hosts know avoiding defeat will secure a spot in next year's Finals tournament.

Despite now finding themselves in pole position, Dalot says the outlook ahead of the game has not changed.

"Our thinking will be the same, whether Spain had won or our result [had been different]. We're going to Braga to win," he said.

"It's going to be a very complicated game and we have to do our [work] to be able to be in the next phase."

Dalot was also pleased with the overall performance from the squad, believing it to be evidence of their strength ahead of the World Cup later this year.

"The most important thing was the good game we played collectively. I think we could still have done a little better after the third goal, taking it easy and more ball," he added.

"We had some scares there that could have given them a goal, but we kept our cool. Defensively we were also very good and I think the result speaks for itself. We played a great game, and we deserved this win.

"This is the result of the work we have been doing. We have a lot of quality. This is a strong [moment] for us. The World Cup is coming, it's a competition where we always want to be."

South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber accepts his team have plenty of room for improvement with just under a year to go until their Rugby World Cup defence gets under way.

The Springboks could only beat Argentina 38-21 in the final match of the Rugby Championship on Saturday, and that meant New Zealand took the trophy.

South Africa required a try-scoring bonus point plus a winning margin of at least 39 points at Kings Park in Durban, but the Pumas would not be rolled over in such a manner.

The daunting title target for the Boks had been set when the All Blacks posted a crushing 40-14 victory against Australia earlier in the day.

Before their 2019 World Cup win, the Boks won a three-match Rugby Championship. The 2020 championship was cancelled due to the pandemic, but the All Blacks have now carried off the title in 2021 and 2022, this time around serving to ease some of the pressure on coach Ian Foster.

It was tight this year, with New Zealand and South Africa both winning four of six games, but the All Blacks managed one more bonus point and a superior points difference.

Nienaber is already looking forward to November away games against Ireland, France, Italy and England, as South Africa look to gather themselves for a big push into next year. The World Cup begins in September 2023 in France.

"We are not there yet, we need to find consistency," Nienaber said. "In that regard, we will get a good idea where we are on the end-of-year tour.

"We play the number one [Ireland] and number two [France] in the world in the first two games of the tour. So it will be a challenging tour for us."

South Africa had not scored 39 points in a match, let alone won by that margin, since a 40-9 defeat of Georgia in July 2021.

They last beat Argentina by such a hefty points margin in 2013, when posting a 73-13 landslide win, but the Pumas are far more competitive nowadays, as wins over Australia and New Zealand in this championship showed.

Nienaber said his players still felt they could pull off the improbable against Argentina when they took to the field.

"We saw it as a realistic target, we took on the task full on," Nienaber said, quoted by Supersport. "We needed to get a 39-point winning margin to win the trophy, and we all bought into it.

"In the end we came up short, but you can never take a win in the Springbok jersey for granted, victory is always special. We are glad we came out on the right side of today's result, even if we didn't get what we needed to win the championship."

Julian Nagelsmann will turn around Bayern Munich's form after the international break and has the club's "full backing", sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has pledged.

A run of three draws in the Bundesliga for Bayern was followed by a 1-0 defeat to Augsburg before many of Nagelsmann's players headed off on national team duty.

Bayern sit fifth after seven rounds of games, five points adrift of early pace-setters Union Berlin, and they face Bayer Leverkusen next.

Leverkusen have made a much worse start than Bayern, with the team that finished third in the Bundesliga last season winning just once so far this term.

But almost all the focus is on Bayern, who have won the last 10 Bundesliga titles, and Salihamidzic has admitted the early form is a concern, but something that can be resolved.

Salihamidzic told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper: "Julian is very clear. He and his team of coaches know exactly what to do.

"Above all, Julian knows that he has the full backing of FC Bayern, that doesn't have to be emphasised again and again."

Bayern's shot conversion rate in the Bundesliga has dipped from 14.41 per cent last season to 11.8 per cent this term, and it would be easy to point to the sale of Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona and suggest that has been a factor.

It might well be; however, there are signs that Bayern are doing plenty right.

They have already hit the woodwork seven times in seven games, three times more than any other side, which suggests they have been unfortunate. Over 34 games last season, they hit the woodwork 21 times.

Their goal tally is closely tracking their expected goals (xG) score, and both being league highs can be interpreted as another healthy sign. Bayern have netted 19 from an xG of 17.48, so they are exceeding expectations, based on the quality of chances they have had, over the course of the seven games. Last season they finished with 97 league goals from xG of 96.67.

A worrying sign is that Bayern have twice conceded a goal when an error has been committed, having done so only three times in the 2021-22 campaign.

Salihamidzic said Bayern chiefs had spoken to Nagelsmann about "all aspects" of the opening weeks of the season, including the encouraging Champions League group wins over Inter and Barcelona.

What is clear is that Bayern expect greater tenacity from the team after the disappointing derby effort against Augsburg.

"We will appear differently after the international break. And I expect that too," Salihamidzic said. "Physical intensity, greed and the willingness to push yourself to the limit in every game are the prerequisites for success."

The New Orleans Pelicans and star guard CJ McCollum have agreed to a two-year, $64million contract extension, according to reports.

The deal, as reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, keeps McCollum signed through the 2025-26 season, tying him to fellow stars Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, who are signed through at least the next three seasons.

McCollum – who was acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers in February – was a scoring machine down the stretch for the Pelicans and helped lift New Orleans into the play-in tournament and, eventually, a compelling six-game series against the top-seeded Phoenix Suns.

The 31-year-old guard averaged 24.3 points in 26 games with the Pelicans last season, shooting 49.3 per cent from the field and 39.4 per cent from three-point range.

With one offseason priority completed, the Pelicans can now turn their focus towards getting Williamson back on the court after he missed the entire 2021-22 season with a broken right foot.

New Orleans fans spent much of last season waiting for Williamson's return, which never came.

Williamson averaged 27 points over 61 games in 2020-21.

With their stars now fully healthy, the Pelicans carry elevated expectations into this season, despite playing in a loaded Western Conference.

New Orleans' high-scoring trio of stars is accompanied by veterans like Jonas Valanciunas, Larry Nance Jr. and Devonte' Graham, while second-year defensive ace Herbert Jones is expected to take a step forward.

So much of the Pelicans' potential success, however, relies on health.

Williamson has played 85 career games since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2019. McCollum has missed a total of 45 games over the past two seasons, and Ingram has never played more than 62 games in a season as a starter.

New Zealand retained the Rugby Championship title after South Africa could only beat Argentina 38-21 in the final match of the tournament on Saturday.

The All Blacks' dominant 40-14 defeat of Australia had set the Springboks the sizeable task of securing a bonus-point win by at least 39 points to be crowned champions in Durban.

And Ian Foster's side could ultimately watch on with some degree of comfort early on Sunday morning back home, as the world champions could not prevent them from claiming a fifth title in six championships and had to settle for second place.

An 11th-minute Springboks try was ruled out as Eben Etzebeth had stripped the ball from team-mate Siya Kolisi in an offside position, although their pressure soon told with a yellow card for Marcos Kremer.

South Africa made the most of their numerical advantage when Jasper Wiese scored the first and surely easiest try of his international career, walking the ball over at the back of a scrum.

No sooner had Kremer returned than Juan Martin Gonzalez headed for the sin bin, and it was captain Kolisi's turn to capitalise as he powered through for the second, before Frans Steyn dispatched a long-range penalty.

But Gonzalo Bertranou lunged for the line on the stroke of half-time to silence the Kings Park crown, then Gonzalez raced down the left for the first try of the second period.

Argentina had designs on winning the match, yet they conceded pivotal penalty tries either side of Matias Moroni's score in a half that saw two yellow cards for each side, with the Springboks forced to scrap for their victory as Etzebeth and Faf de Klerk were off the field at the same time.

Kurt-Lee Arendse's last-gasp try at least allowed South Africa to finish with a flourish, with the Pumas consigned to finishing bottom of the table.

First-half frustrations again

If South Africa were to hold any hope of stealing the championship from New Zealand, they needed a strong start. However, three of their previous six home Tests against Argentina – despite all ending in victory – had seen the Springboks fail to take a lead into half-time.

They had to stay patient again in this encounter, frustrated in front of the posts against 15 men, but two tries with men in the sin bin looked to have kept South Africa just about on course until Bertranou dealt the home crowd a blow shortly before the interval.

Seven-try repeat a step too far

South Africa had not scored 39 points, let alone won by that margin, since a 40-9 defeat of Georgia in July 2021.

The last victory the Springboks celebrated that would have been enough to take the title in these circumstances was a 66-7 success against Canada at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, while the last against Argentina was a 73-13 win in 2013.

There were seven second-half South Africa tries in that thrashing of the Pumas, but a repeat never appeared likely this time.

France boss Didier Deschamps could be without Ousmane Dembele for Sunday's Nations League clash with Denmark after the Barcelona winger reported a calf problem.

The game in Copenhagen will see Deschamps make a number of changes, with the trip coming just two months before the teams meet again in the World Cup group stage.

France are eager to get the win, as that would guarantee they avoid relegation from the top tier of the Nations League, but Deschamps will not push anyone into playing.

"Ousmane felt discomfort in a calf and will train separately," said Deschamps on Saturday evening.

"We will review after the session. I will make changes, but I won't decide tonight. I will wait for the medical return and the feelings of the players. There will be changes, but I won't tell you how many."

France and Denmark will be joined in Group D at Qatar 2022 by Australia and Tunisia, and they are due to go head-to-head on November 26 in the second round of games.

Denmark got the better of Deschamps' side at the Stade de France in June in their first Nations League encounter, with Andreas Cornelius hitting a double after Karim Benzema had put the hosts ahead.

According to Deschamps, there will be little to be gained on Sunday with a view to the World Cup game, though.

"The only advantage is for players who are there and who will have the possibility of starting or coming on," he said. "I'm not going to get any particular benefit from it otherwise.

"In Qatar, it will be another game, but the teams will know each other well, that's true."

With Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan coming off injured in the 2-0 win against Austria on Thursday, West Ham's Alphonse Areola has got the nod to start against the Danes.

Areola came into the fray for the second half against Austria, with first choice Huge Lloris out through injury.

The 29-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain stopper has made five appearances for West Ham this season, albeit with four of those coming in the Europa Conference League and just one in the Premier League.

"He will start," Deschamps said. "I see goalkeepers starting in the national team and not in the club. Alphonse has been more or less a starter. Every time he plays, he performs well. Alphonse is there because he has quality."

Two-time Olympic champion Aksel Lund Svindal has been diagnosed with testicular cancer.

The 39-year-old Norwegian, who retired in 2019, on Saturday revealed his prognosis looks "very good" after he was given an early diagnosis and underwent surgery.

He posted on social media: "The last few weeks have been different. But I'm able to say weeks and not months because of great medical help, a little luck and a good decision.

"Very grateful for the public healthcare system in Norway. Thank you! But it's that good first decision that I want to talk about now. 

"I felt a change in my body. I wasn't sure what it was, or if it was anything at all. But I decided to have it checked out. I went to see a doctor, and was quickly transferred to the hospital where they confirmed what the doctor suspected. Testicle cancer.

"Tests, scans and surgery all happened very quickly. And already after the first week I knew the prognoses looked very good. All thanks to that first decision to go see a doctor as soon as I suspected something was off."

Svindal won super-G gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and claimed the downhill title in Pyeongchang four years ago.

He also won nine World Championship medals, two overall World Cup titles and nine World Cup discipline titles in a stellar career.

Raphael Varane confirmed players in the France camp are concerned after Paul Pogba's brother was charged and detained over an alleged extortion attempt against the midfielder.

Pogba is absent from the France squad at present due to injury, and his chances of playing at the World Cup hang in the balance.

However, it has been off-field matters that have grabbed the attention recently regarding the Juventus player.

An investigation was opened in August into allegations Pogba was the target of an extortion plot by brother Mathias and childhood friends demanding a €13million sum.

Mathias, who is a free agent after a spell with French fourth-tier side Belfort came to an end in April, threatened to share "explosive revelations" in a video posted on social media.

The 32-year-old has denied taking part in extortion attempts against his brother, but he and four others were recently charged in relation to the matter.

New videos from Mathias Pogba were released on Friday, making various claims that were not substantiated, with the story remaining high on the news agenda in France.

Asked whether the France players are talking about the Pogba issue, Varane said: "Unfortunately there is lots of non-sporting news at the moment. We try to be focused on the pitch.

"As a player, that is what must take precedence, but we are not insensitive to what is happening around us. Especially when it involves someone you know. We also feel concerned in a certain way.

"Internally, we're going very well. We are focused on our objective, and we try to be as professional as possible."

Varane and Pogba were club-mates at Manchester United last season, before Pogba moved on at the end of his Old Trafford contract to embark on a second spell at Juventus.

France head coach Didier Deschamps said he would not be distracted by external events, as he prepares his team to face Denmark on Sunday in the Nations League.

"There is nothing and no one to disturb my tranquillity," Deschamps said. "If there are fewer non-sporting debates, it is better."

Varane is set to face United team-mate Christian Eriksen in Copenhagen, and he continues to be impressed by how the former Tottenham and Inter playmaker has returned to football following the cardiac arrest he suffered at last year's European Championship.

Acquired from Brentford in the off-season, Eriksen has quickly become a key figure at United, and defender Varane said: "He managed to integrate quickly into the squad.

"He has a lot of qualities. We are very happy to see him playing at this level after what he has been through. He's a player that I appreciate."

Buffalo Bills safety Micah Hyde is to be placed on the injured reserve list and will miss the remainder of the 2022 season, his agent has confirmed

Hyde suffered a neck injury during the Week 2 victory over the Tennessee Titans and was ruled out of contention for Sunday's AFC East divisional showdown with the Miami Dolphins.

Reports had stated Hyde was set to get a second opinion on his neck injury, but the verdict was not a positive one.

Hyde's agent Jack Bechta took to social media to confirm his client's absence for the remainder of the season, writing: "Unfortunately client Micah Hyde will be put on IR today due to his recent neck injury.

"Fortunately, we expect a healthy return for #23 in 2023."

Reserve safety Jaquan Johnson is expected to step up in the absence of the 2013 fifth-round draft pick, who joined the Bills after three seasons with the Green Bay Packers.