Barcelona enjoyed a 2-0 win over Almeria on Saturday but the night belonged to defender Gerard Pique's who was playing his last game at the Camp Nou after he announced he will retire from soccer when LaLiga breaks for the World Cup next week.
Barca, who won with second-half goals from Ousmane Dembele and Frenkie de Jong, climbed to the top of the standings on 34 points from 13 games, two ahead of Real Madrid who have a game in hand and will visit Rayo Vallecano on Monday.
- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)
After missing several chances in the first-half, including a penalty for a handball that Robert Lewandowski put wide, Dembele broke the deadlock right after the break, slotting a precise shot into the bottom corner from a counter-attack.
In the 62nd minute, De Jong was well positioned inside the area to score off a rebound from goalkeeper Fernando Martinez and wrap up the points for Barcelona.
At a sold-out Camp Nou where everything surrounding the game was about the long-serving Pique, including the Barca players' shirts which carried the word "Sempr3", "Forever" in Catalonian, with Pique's number 3 replacing the letter E.
- Barca's Pique vows to return after tearful farewell
The 35-year-old Pique, who started the game as captain, won 30 trophies, including three Champions League and eight LaLiga titles, with Barca.
He played well and almost scored in the first-half with two towering headers from corners against a defensive Almeria side who only had one shot on target in the match.
Pique was substituted in the 83rd minute, walking off the pitch in tears to a standing ovation from the 92,605 fans - the highest attendance at the Camp Nou so far this season - who packed the stadium to say goodbye to a club great.
