Spain continue to lead FIFA Rankings

Spain top the year-end Fifa rankings for the sixth straight year, since starting their run of major tournament wins at the 2008 European Championship.

The 2010 World Cup winner leads Germany, Argentina and Colombia at the head of an unchanged top 10.

Just 30 national team matches were played in the past month to affect the calculations.

The United States remain the best-placed Concacaf team at No 15. Ivory Coast lead Africa at No 17.

Bosnia-Herzegovina rise two places to No 19, pushing No 21 Mexico down one.

Iran still lead Asian confederation teams and rise 12 to No 33.

Fifa says No 18 Ukraine made the biggest rankings rise i2013, up 29 places. Ukraine failed to qualify for the World Cup, losing a playoff to No 20 France.

Fifa rankings for December (November positions in parentheses):

1. Spain (1)
2. Germany (2)
3. Argentina (3)
4. Colombia (4)
5. Portugal (5)
6. Uruguay (6)
7. Italy (7)
8. Switzerland (8)
9. Netherlands (9)
10. Brazil (10)
11. Belgium (11)
12. Greece (12)
13. England (13)
14. United States (14)
15. Chile (15)
16. Croatia (16)
17. Ivory Coast (17)
18. Ukraine (18)
19. Bosnia-Herzegovina (21)
20. France (19)

Barca and Real facing funding Investigations

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao and Osasuna are all being investigated for possible tax privileges, while Madrid are also the subject of another inquiry regarding the transfer of land with the City of Madrid.

The other three clubs involved, Valencia, Elche and Hercules, are being probed by the Commission over aid received from the state-owned Valencia Institute of Finance.

Here are the measures for which each club is being investigated, as announced in a statement by the European Commission:

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao and Osasuna

"Since 1990: Possible privileges regarding corporate taxation of Real Madrid CF, Barcelona CF, Athletic Club Bilbao, and Club Atletico Osasuna - These four clubs are exempted from the general obligation for professional football clubs to convert into sport limited companies. The effect of this exemption is that these clubs enjoy a preferential corporate tax rate of 25 per cent instead of 30 per cent applicable to sport limited companies."

Real Madrid

"2011: Real Madrid appears to have benefited from a very advantageous real property swap with the City of Madrid. This swap was based on a re-evaluation of a plot of land at a value of 22.7million euros, instead of its earlier supposed value in 1998 of 595 000 euros."

Valencia

"2009: State guarantee by the Valencia Institute of Finance for a bank loan of 75million euros from Bancaja (now Bankia) to Fundacion Valencia Club de Futbol, which was used to finance the acquisition of shares of Valencia CF by the Fundacion Valencia.

"2010 and 2013: The Valencia Institute of Finance increased its guarantee to Fundacion Valencia Club de Futbol by six million euros and five million euros, respectively, to cover overdue capital, interest and costs, stemming from defaulted payments of the guaranteed loan previously granted to CF Valencia."

Hercules

"2010: State guarantee by the Valencia Institute of Finance for a bank loan of 18million euros from Caja de Ahorros del Mediterraneo to Fundacion Hercules de Alicante, which was used to finance the acquisition of shares of Hercules CF by Fundacion Hercules de Alicante."

Elche

"2013: State guarantee by the Valencia Institute of Finance for two bank loans of totally 14million euros, from CAM (nine million euros) and from Banco de Valencia (five million euros), to Fundacion Elche Club de Futbol, which was used to finance the acquisition of shares of Elche CF by Fundacion Elche Club de Futbol."

Manchester City vs Barcelona: Pellegrini does not fear Barcelona

City have been handed a testing tie against the Catalan giants in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Pellegrini's men might have avoided such a big clash had they not misunderstood the group stage goal difference rules last week.

City beat Bayern Munich 3-2 but Pellegrini failed to realise that victory by one more goal would have secured top spot in their group and a theoretically more favourable draw.

Yet simply after beating the European champions, and then scoring six past Barclays Premier League leaders Arsenal, Pellegrini is confident enough after the draw.

He said: "I think they will be very concerned also. Barcelona is not the team it was two years ago.

"I think it is a beautiful game with two very good teams."

While Pellegrini accepts he miscalculated in Munich, he insists his side would have faced a tough draw from whichever position they had finished in the group.

He said: "All the 16 teams that play in the last 16 are the best teams of Europe - so Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain for me was exactly the same."

Despite what happened in Munich - and Pellegrini's failure to send on top scorer Sergio Aguero continues to be picked out by critics - the Chilean insists his team did not stop trying to score a fourth.

He feels too much is being made of the matter and the team are not receiving enough credit for their achievement in recovering from 2-0 down.

He said: "There was no confusion. Maybe a mistake could be if I thought 3-2 was enough and we didn't try to score the fourth goal - but we tried to score the fourth and fifth goal but we couldn't do it.

"I respect the critics but I think they are absolutely confused against who we were playing."

Pellegrini believes City, who have qualified for the knockout phase for the first time, will take a lot from claiming such a notable scalp.

He said: "A lot of confidence. The most important thing, and we had already done it, was to qualify for the next round but to play against Bayern was a big test for what we can do in the future."

The tie will bring Barca star Lionel Messi up against his Argentina team-mate Aguero.

Pellegrini recently said he rates Aguero third, behind Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, among the world's best players.

But the Chilean said: "It is not only Messi and Aguero. The two teams have top players and we will see which play better in that round of Champions League.

"But that is in February. We will worry about that later."

While that prospect is an enticing one, City will have to make do without Aguero for the immediate future.

Pellegrini has confirmed he expects the prolific forward, who has scored 19 goals this season, to be out for at least a month with a calf injury.

City are still to learn the full extent of the problem but Aguero is set to miss the Boxing Day clash with Liverpool as well as other Barclays Premier League games against Fulham, Crystal Palace and Swansea.

Aguero was injured early in the second half of Saturday's impressive 6-3 defeat of Arsenal.

Pellegrini said: "I think he will be at least one month out.

"He has a calf injury. Maybe the doctor can say exactly how many weeks he will be."

Pellegrini was speaking at a press conference to preview his side's midweek Capital One Cup quart-final at Leicester, for which changes were likely anyway.

He said: "Of course, when you have a good squad, it is easy for the manager to make changes. I trust in this squad.

"That's why we went last week to play against Bayern with five or six players that don't normally start and we won.

"After Bayern we made six or seven changes against Arsenal and won. We will make some changes in the same way.

"I think it is an important cup. That is why we try from the beginning to play from the beginning with a good team.

"We hope we can continue with this cup and always a final in Wembley is important."

Sergio Kun Aguero Could Miss crucial ties due to Injury

City are still to learn the full extent of Aguero's calf injury, but such a lay-off could make him doubtful for the first leg of the Champions League clash against Barcelona.

City host the Catalan giants in the last 16 of Europe's elite competition in nine weeks' time, on February 18, before travelling the Nou Camp the following month.

The influential Aguero, who has scored 19 goals this season, limped off during City's 6-3 thrashing of Arsenal in the Barclays Premier League last weekend.

Pellegrini had previously said he expected the player to be out for at least a month, but back for the Champions League tie.

But if he is to be sidelined for closer to two months there may not be time for him to recover match fitness to face Barcelona.

Pellegrini, speaking after his side's Capital One Cup quarter-final win at Leicester, said: "I am not a doctor. It is very difficult.

"The doctor has said he has at least one month or eight weeks. We will see.

"I don't how many weeks but it will be at least one month. It is very difficult to know at this moment how many weeks it can be."

It therefore seems certain that Aguero will miss the Christmas programme, which includes a home clash with Liverpool in the Premier League on Boxing Day.

He could also be doubtful for both legs of City's Capital One Cup semi-final in January, a month that also includes Premier League games against Newcastle and Tottenham.

In addition, City also host title rivals Chelsea in the first week of February - another crucial game he could miss.

UEFA Champions League :Round of 16 draw:

Australia reclaim the Ashes

Australia reclaimed the Ashes by dismissing England's last five batsmen after lunch on Tuesday for a 150-run victory in the third test to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.Just three months after England wrapped up a third successive Ashes series triumph by a similarly dominant 3-0 margin back home, Australia wrested back the tiny urn they last held in August 2009.

Ben Stokes made the Australians sweat through the first session on the fifth and final day of the match with his maiden test hundred - England's first of the series - as the tourists chased their improbable victory target of 504.

Once the 22-year-old lefthander was dismissed for 120 in the third over after lunch to reduce the tourists to 336 for seven, though, Australia quickly ran through the England tail.

Mitchell Johnson, whose fiery spells of pace bowling had turned the first two tests, finished with four for 78 after dismissing James Anderson to end England's innings for 353, sparking wild celebrations from his team mates.

"I feel pretty good," said Australia skipper Michael Clarke.

"What an amazing performance not just throughout this test match but over the course of three test matches. I think we put a lot of work in over a long period of time and we got the Ashes back, So it's a fantastic feeling."

Lefthander Stokes, who made his debut in the second test in Adelaide, showed great concentration and no little courage to help England to their biggest innings score of the series.

England had resumed on 251 for five requiring another 253 runs for an extraordinary victory or more likely needing to bat through the final day to save the test.

The yawning cracks that had opened up on the sunbaked wicket added an extra danger factor for the batsmen, with one Ryan Harris delivery to Stokes jagging off into the slips.

It was Johnson who made the breakthrough when Matt Prior took a swipe at widish delivery and got a nick on it to be caught behind for 26.

Two overs later and Stokes, who had edged his way nervously through the 90s, pulled Johnson to the long-leg for four to reach his hundred, pumping his fist in celebration of an impressive knock.

England made it through to lunch at 332-6 but their task always looked too tough and when Stokes was caught behind off spinner Nathan Lyon the end was in sight.

Graeme Swann (four) and Tim Bresnan (12) went in consecutive overs and there was just one more over of England's innings before Johnson delivered the coup de grace with his 23rd wicket of the series.

"It was pretty hard bowling. The emotions were flying and just trying to keep them in check. It's an unbelievable feeling," said Johnson.

"I came back from injury and I had a lot of doubters I knew I did all the hard work and I had the opportunity and I took it with both hands. This team we have got here has moulded well as a unit. Everyone has done so well and we all deserve it.

"It means a lot to finally win the Ashes after being part of a couple we lost, so it was very special."

Australia won the first test in Brisbane by 381 runs and the second in Adelaide by 218 runs and will now be targeting a 5-0 sweep in the final two tests in Melbourne and Sydney.

European football Roundup: Barca, Atletico stay ahead; Arsenal lead

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid continued to set the pace in La Liga as Real Madrid lost ground at the top with a draw at Osasuna.

Arsenal's Premier League lead was cut to two points following their 6-3 loss at Manchester City and Liverpool climbed to second with a 5-0 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur.

Juventus moved six points clear at the top of Serie A with a 4-0 victory over Sassuolo and Napoli kept alive their hopes of a first title since 1990 with a 4-2 win over 10-man Inter Milan.

SPAIN

Diego Costa scored twice as Atletico Madrid beat Valencia 3-0 to maintain their winning home run this season and keep pace with Barcelona at the top of La Liga.

Atletico are level on 43 points with Barcelona, who beat Villarreal 2-1 on Saturday thanks to two goals by Brazilian Neymar, as Real Madrid lost further ground following a 2-2 draw at Osasuna and now sit five points off the pace in third spot.

ENGLAND

Manchester City exposed the first major cracks in Arsenal's title challenge by crushing the Premier League leaders 6-3 at the Etihad Stadium as their attacking talents cut loose in another free-scoring home display.

Arsenal's advantage at the top was cut to two points after Liverpool thrashed Tottenham Hotspur 5-0 at White Hart Lane, helped by Luis Suarez's 16th and 17th league goals of the season. Third-placed Chelsea sneaked a 2-1 home win over Crystal Palace.

Man City sit fourth and Manchester United ended a run of four league games without a win as Danny Welbeck scored twice in a 3-0 victory at Aston Villa to lift the champions to eighth.

West Bromwich Albion sacked manager Steve Clarke after a 1-0 defeat at Cardiff left them 16th and just two points above the relegation places.

ITALY

Juventus moved six points clear at the top of Serie A with a 4-0 victory over Sassuolo and Napoli kept alive their hopes of a first title since 1990 with an epic 4-2 win over 10-man Inter Milan.

Juve striker Carlos Tevez struck with simple finishes in the 15th, 45th and 68th minutes to move Antonio Conte's side up to 43 points, six ahead of AS Roma who visit AC Milan on Monday.

Goals from Gonzalo Higuain, Dries Mertens, Blerim Dzemaili and Jose Callejon lifted Napoli to within eight points of the leaders.

GERMANY

Bayern Munich made sure of top spot in the Bundesliga until January after beating Hamburg SV 3-1 to open up a seven-point lead with a game left before the winter break.

Bayern, who are off to the Club World Cup in search of their fifth title of the season, have now gone 41 games without defeat in the league.

Second-placed Bayer Leverkusen were stunned 1-0 by lowly Eintracht Frankfurt who notched their first win in 11 games thanks to Marco Russ' 61st-minute header.

Leverkusen are on 37 points, five ahead of third-placed Borussia Dortmund who battled back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Hoffenheim.

FRANCE

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani scored as Paris St Germain kept their tight grip at the top of Ligue 1 with a 3-1 victory at Stade Rennes.

After the Swede added a 14th league goal to his season tally and his Uruguayan partner netted his 12th, they have scored more between them than 17 teams, with second-placed Monaco the only other side to have collected more than 26.

Thiago Motta also featured on the scoresheet to help PSG move up to 43 points from 18 games, two ahead of Monaco who won 2-0 at Guingamp.

Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez again made up for injured compatriot Radamel Falcao's absence by perfectly setting up both goals. He has now provided seven assists, more than any player in the league this season.

Lille, who defeated Bastia 2-1 at home thanks to a Salomon Kalou double, are third on 39 points ahead of next week's trip to Paris for the last round of matches before the winter break.