Umpire Mark Carlson Called a Near Perfect Game of Balls and Strikes This Weekend

Lille agree deal for Serbian striker

Ligue 1 giants Lille are set to complete the signing of Serbian forward Petar Skuletic from Partizan Belgrade, .

It is no secret les Dogues are on the lookout for a proven goalscorer having largely struggled up front this season.

According to Serbian daily newspaper Sportski Zurnal, Lille have all but agreed a €2.5 million deal for Petar Skuletic.

The 24-year-old has moved to confirm that he is set to sign for the French giants after completing his medical.

“Having received permission from Partizan I travelled to Lille, passed a medical and agreed personal terms with the French side,” Skuletic told Sportski Zurnal.

This is enough to suggest that the two sides have already reached an agreement all…

Marseille let slip a 3-1 lead to draw 4-4 at Rennes and Paris Saint Germain fell 1-0 at Monaco as France s high-profile clubs failed to get a winning start in the French league on Saturday.

Reigning seven-time champions Lyon host Toulouse on Sunday to open their 2008/09 campaign.

The new-look PSG under Charles Villeneuve was deservedly beaten by a young and spirited Monaco side thanks to a goal by Frederic Nimani in the 79th minute.

Marseille looked set fair to get their campaign off with a win while leading 3-1 at the interval but Eric Gerets men did not count on the determination of their Brittany opponents in the eight-goal contest.

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Serbian forward Mateja KezmanÂ’s move from Fenerbahce to Paris Saint Germain appears to be imminent after a lengthy drawn out process.

Kezman flew into Paris yesterday (Monday) to finalise arrangements and it was expected that he would be putting pen to paper last evening.

PSG manager Paul Le Guen has been after his man for the past few months but the delay came from Fenerbahce who were demanding that Kezman paid them back a percentage of the premium given to him when he signed. Kezman had refused but the matter appears to have been resolved.

He passed his medical yesterday. The player is said to be on loan with an option to buy at the end of the 2008/9 season should PSG still be in Ligue 1.

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Competition: La Liga

Market: Juventus to beat Fiorentina

Odds:

Serie A continues this weekend for yet another round of enthralling action. The table has remained incredibly tight, meaning that a win can often see a side rise a number of places away from the relegation zone or towards a European spot. With this in mind, Juventus host Fiorentina on Friday.

Juventus have been superb this season and they are battling at the top of the table. After 23 games they have managed to win 19, drawn two and lost two, scoring 59 goals and conceding 15 times. In their last five games they have won five in a row, which has seen them onto 59 points. Juve are just one point behind Napoli at the top, with a win vital to keeping the pressure on the leaders. Howeve…

Manuel Neuer has acknowledged Olivier Giroud is a force to be reckoned with, but has stressed Germany do not fear the France striker ahead of Thursday s semi-final.

Giroud found a way past Neuer in both of the Champions League encounters between Arsenal and Bayern Munich in 2015-16, while also finding the net in France s 2-0 friendly win over Germany in November 2015.

He will be looking to score his fourth Euro 2016 goal on Thursday, but Neuer is confident Germany can cope with the 29-year-old.

Giroud is a very dangerous poacher inside the box, Neuer said at a news conference.

He is strong in the air, he is dangerous for central defenders.

But we know him and can prepare for him.

I don t like focusing on a special player in the opposin…

Outgoing coach Fernando Santos has underlined his pride at Greece s efforts in the FIFA World Cup.

Santos team bowed out in the round of 16 on Sunday in Recife, beaten 5-3 in a penalty shootout by Costa Rica despite enjoying a numerical advantage following Oscar Duarte s 66th-minute red card.

The 59-year-old Portuguese manager s reported comments to Radio Noticias, accusing his players of chasing personal glory rather than following tactical instructions after Sokratis Papastathopoulos last-gasp strike forced extra time, attracted criticism in Greece for the man that led the country to the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2012.

But Santos moved to set the record straight in an interview with Gazzetta.gr, lavishing praise on his squad for their efforts in Brazil, where…

Portuguese newspaper that Everton are leading the race to sign Sporting Lisbon winger Jeffren Suarez.

The talented forward was predicted a bright career when he left Barcelona in the summer of 2011 to join the Lions, but he has had a pretty disappointing start to his spell at Estadio Jose Alvalade.

Jeffren went on to make just 23 league appearances in almost two years at the club and is now looking for a new challenge.

According to O Jogo, English Premier League is the most likely destination for the 25-year-old, with Everton reportedly keen.

The Toffees have been keeping close tabs on the Spaniard for over a year now and they finally seem ready to step up their interest in the player.

However, Everton could face a stiff competition from three u…

The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) has made the decision to postpone Lyon s Ligue 1 trip to Lorient on Sunday owing to an unsafe pitch at the latter s home ground.

The two sides were due to play their second league match of the new season, having got their campaigns underway last weekend.

But the LFP has elected to delay the encounter after a pitch inspection at Stade du Moustoir deemed the surface to possess a risk to the welfare of both teams.

The LFP Competitions Committee decided on Friday to postpone the match between FC Lorient and Olympique Lyonnais to a later date, read an official statement.

The commission noted that the current state of the pitch at Stade du Moustoir did not ensure the safety of the players. As a result, the LFP Com…

Robert Lewandowski scored his 250th Bundesliga goal in Bayern Munich s game against Wolfsburg at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

Bayern striker Lewandowski reached the landmark with a header on the stroke of half-time to cancel out Maximilian Philipp s early opener.

The 32-year-old is only the third player in Bundesliga history to reach the landmark after Gerd Muller (365) and Klaus Fischer (268), though he is the first non-German to achieve the feat.

Lewandowski required 332 games to hit the total, making him quicker than Fischer (460) but not as rapid as Bayern great Muller (284).

The Poland international scored his first 74 Bundesliga goals across 131 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, with his 176 for Bayern taking just 201 matches.

Bundes…

Competition: International Friendly
Market: France to win against Brazil
Odds:

France host Brazil in tonight’s international friendly, with Les Blues the favourites to enjoy yet another win against the Samba Kings. Didier Deschamps’ side have a good past record against Brazil in competitive games, but did lose in their most recent friendly. However, that was back in 2013, and a lot has changed since then between the two sides.

Les Blues are looking to gain momentum throughout the rest of the year, while Brazil are likely to take any rest that isn’t a defeat. Their squad has undergone mass change following their World Cup humiliation, which has seen many less familiar stars brought into the squad. France have a very attacking lineup, and will certainly …