Marseille and PSG fail to get winning starts

Atletico Madrid and FC Barcelona played a tightly contested affair Sunday at Wanda Metropolitano. However, and even though there were lots of chances at both ends, only one goal was scored. A late goal from Lionel Messi lifted Barcelona to a huge 1-0 away win, a result that sends Los Blaugranas back to the top spot in the Liga standings.

Atletico Madrid started slightly better, though. Kieran Trippier smashed the post just seven minutes into the game, and Mario Hermoso also had a clear chance that he couldn’t capitalize in the first 20 minutes of action. Barcelona’s first clear scoring chance came through Ivan Rakitic, who tested Jan Oblak from long range, but the Slovenian made an easy save.

Luis Suarez and Alvaro Morata traded chances late in the first ha…

As the 2019/20 season slowly moves forward, Christian Eriksen is marching towards the end of his contract with Tottenham Hotspur. All the signs have been pointing towards a departure ever since the player himself declared himself open to new challenges some months ago, and now report that the Denmark international has made it clear he has no intention of signing a new deal.

Since his arrival to the club last month, manager Jose Mourinho has apparently made some progress when it comes to convincing defenders Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld to stay put, but it doesn t seem to be the case with Eriksen.

The situation leaves the club with two options; to sell in January or lose for free in the summer. But the choice may be taken from their hands if Eriksen agrees a pre…

Jurgen Klopp believes the achievements of Sean Dyche at Burnley should be viewed through the same lens as those enjoyed by Pep Guardiola s record-breaking Manchester City.

Runaway leaders City have set a new benchmark for consecutive Premier League wins while thrilling onlookers with their attacking football this season.

Burnley s approach has been typically more pragmatic, but they remain within in touching distance of English football s Big Six with more than half of the season played.

Fantastic, really outstanding, was Klopp s summary of Burnley s campaign thus far when asked about Monday s opponents.

I know how difficult it is to swim with the big fishes in the league and obviously they swim quite well.

It s just a nice story. Each year cr…

Market: Melbourne City win

Odds: 

Knowing that another victory on Friday morning will see them reclaim their spot at the top of the A-League, a free-scoring Melbourne City will welcome Perth Glory to AAMI Park.

Starting with the hosts, bagging the most dramatic of 3-2 wins away at Western Sydney last week thanks to an injury-time strike, the mood around AAMI Park remains at a high and some have tipped the Blues as title contenders this season. Knowing that three points on Friday would see them leapfrog Sydney to top spot, Head Coach Erick Mombaerts has seen his side taste defeat just once since opening the 2019/2020 campaign and they have now won five of their last six matchups, a run that stems back to the 12th of October. Even more impressive, Melbourne have …

Manchester United are preparing a £90m bid for Real Madrid midfielder Gareth Bale, .

The Wales international moved to the Bernabeu for a world record transfer fee in the summer of 2013, and has gone to make sixty-five appearances in all competitions, scoring thirty-two goals – two of which came in major finals in which the club was victorious.

He insists that he is happy in the Spanish capital, though with his team excelling in his absence earlier this season, a question mark hangs over his future at the club.

Real have also been linked with a move for Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, and could move Bale on to fund a bid for the Belgium international.

Manchester United beat fierce rivals Liverpool 3-0 on Sunday afternoon to remain in the top three, eight …

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…

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…