Lionel Messi believes the current Barcelona side has more weapons than Pep Guardiola's 2009 world-beaters and wants to prove it by winning a record third Club World Cup.

The Spanish giants, who have captured the Champions League, Spain's La Liga, the Copa del Rey and European Super Cup this year, take on China's Guangzhou Evergrande Thursday for a place in the tournament final in Yokohama on December 20.

Gary Neville has a great chance to seal his first win as Valencia boss at the third attempt when Los Che host third tier Barakaldo at the Mestalla on Wednesday.

Valencia already lead the Basques 3-1 from the first leg before Neville's appointment a fortnight ago.

Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez fired Leicester back to the top of the Premier League and extended Chelsea's miserable season with a 2-1 victory on Monday that heaped renewed pressure on Jose Mourinho.

Mahrez created Vardy's 15th goal of the season with a wonderful cross on 34 minutes.

Expected changes to the Basketball Hall of Fame election process could see Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson and China's Yao Ming among those inducted in 2016, according to an NBA website report on Monday.

Citing unnamed sources, the report said the Basketball Hall of Fame changes will include reducing by one year the wait for eligibility for induction to the sporting shrine.

Bosnian Ervin Zukanovic stole a point for Sampdoria with virtually the last kick of the match in a 1-1 draw at Lazio on Monday.

Earlier, substitute Alessandro Matri looked to have grabbed a match-winner for Lazio, who like Samp have now gone seven games without a win.

U.S. prosecutors are threatening to punish banks for failing to flag up suspicious activity on accounts linked to world football's scandal-hit governing body FIFA, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

U.S. banks JPMorgan, Bank of America and Citigroup, Swiss lenders Credit Suisse and UBS and British HSBC and Standard Chartered are holding discussions on the issue with U.S. authorities, the business daily said.

European champions Barcelona will go up against English Premier League leaders Arsenal in the Champions League last 16 after they were thrown together in Monday's draw.

French heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain were drawn against 2012 winners Chelsea for the third straight season, while Bayern Munich will meet last year's finalists Juventus.

Kevin Durant scored 31 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a fifth straight NBA victory on Sunday, a 104-98 overtime triumph over the Utah Jazz.

Durant made 10 of his 17 attempts from the floor, handing out six assists and pulling down five rebounds.

European champions Barcelona were greeted like rock stars on their arrival in Japan on Monday to contest the Club World Cup, looking bleary-eyed after a long flight from Spain.

Around 300 screaming fans greeted the Spanish giants trying to take pictures of superstars Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez as they swept through Narita airport at around 0800 local time dressed in blue team tracksuits.

Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams celebrated seasons of epic proportions, claiming six of eight Grand Slam titles in a march to greatness dented only by two players producing once-in-a-lifetime performances.

Djokovic ended 2015 with 11 titles, 82 wins and just six defeats in a haul which included three of the four majors -- the Australian and U.S. Opens and Wimbledon.