MEN’S FOOTBALL: Barcelona top La Liga by a point before tomorrow night’s game with Athletic Madrid after they came from behind to beat Alaves 3-1 and Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw at struggling Girona. 

Real have drawn their last three matches while neighbours Athleti, who sit three points behind Barcelona in fourth place, are on a seven-match winning run in all competitions since their Champions League defeat to Arsenal.

HORSE RACING: Calandagan followed up being named as the British horse of the year with victory by a head over Masquerade Ball at Sunday’s Japan Cup in Tokyo. 

Four-year-old Calandagan won three other Group One races this year, is the first European-bred horse to win the Japan Cup in over 20 years, and earned almost £5 million in prize money for Sunday’s win. 

Danon Decile was two-and-a-half lengths back in third.

ICE HOCKEY: Sheffield Steelers moved top of the Elite League after they edged to a 3-2 overtime victory against second-placed Nottingham and won 3-1 at Coventry. 

At the other end of the table, Keaton Jameson scored twice as bottom club Fife Flyers earned their first win of the season, 6-5 in overtime against Manchester, before they rapidly backed it up with another overtime success, beating third-placed Cardiff 3-2.

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL: Spain will be without Aitana Bonmati for tomorrow night’s second leg of their Nations Cup final against Germany in Madrid after the three-time Ballon D’or winner suffered a broken leg during training on Sunday. 

The tie is currently level at 0-0 following last Friday’s first leg. 

France are 2-1 up in the battle for third place, thanks to Mbock Bathy’s stoppage-time winner, when they face Sweden in Stockholm tomorrow evening.