AC Milan's veteran forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice and also missed an open goal to give his side a 2-0 win over Bologna and get their Serie A campaign off to a winning start on Monday.
The 38-year-old broke the deadlock with a towering header in the 35th minute and added the second with a penalty — the first in Serie A this season — five minutes after the break.
Veteran forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic is to stay at AC Milan for another season in a bid to help the once-mighty club end their long wait for a major trophy and return to the Champions League, Italian media reported on Monday.
The charismatic Swede, who will be 39 in October, returned for a second stint at Milan in January on a six-month contract and inspired an upturn in form as they finished last season with a 13-match unbeaten run in all competitions. That lifted them to sixth place in Serie A and booked them a place in the Europa League qualifying rounds.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic looks to be extending his stay with AC Milan after an incredible return to his former club. Ibrahimovic has said that he was happy with the Italian club and now reports say he will play another season with the Rossoneri.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic must’ve been watching Major League Soccer on Friday night (into Saturday morning in Italy). He accomplished what this weekend we’ll call “doing a Nani.”
On Friday, Nani missed a penalty kick in regulation but converted the final attempt in the shootout as Orlando City upset LAFC in the MLS Is Back quarterfinals. A fellow former Manchester United player who spent the two years prior in MLS, Zlatan followed a similar pattern in AC Milan’s final Serie A match of the season.
Roberto De Zerbi's Sassuolo strolled to a 5-0 win against Genoa on Wednesday, in large part thanks to winger Domenico Berardi.
Berardi, who joined Sassuolo as a 16-year old in 2010, has been one of Serie A's standout players in 2019-20. After his man-of-the-match performance Wednesday, he has 14 goals and 10 assists this season. After providing the assist for the opener, Berardi scored Sassuolo's second with a beautiful curling effort from outside the box.
Stefano Pioli's AC Milan is yet to suffer defeat since league play resumed in June following the coronavirus shutdown.
Milan has earned 27 points from 11 games since the return to action, causing the club hierarchy to take a U-turn as preparations for next season go ahead. The board had reportedly offered the manager's job for 2020-21 to Ralf Ragnick, Head of Sport and Development Soccer for Red Bull.
AC Milan’s unbeaten streak since the restart reached 11 games on Wednesday (eight wins, three draws) following a 4-1 victory over Sampdoria. Zlatan Ibrahimović — giving more credence to his statement that Milan would’ve won the Scudetto had he signed last summer — scored a brace, giving him nine goals in 17 league appearances.
Atalanta's Serie A title challenge all but faded away on Friday after they were held to a 1-1 draw at AC Milan, leaving them five points adrift of leaders Juventus.
Second-placed Atalanta moved up to 75 points with two games left to play, while Juventus can win the Scudetto for the ninth successive season if they beat Sampdoria at home on Sunday. Juve also have a game in hand.
Atalanta fell behind to a superb free kick from Hakan Calhanoglu, who sent a vicious dipping effort sailing over keeper Pierluigi Gollini in the 14th minute.
AC Milan loanee Andre Silva scored against Paderborn on Saturday to help Frankfurt to a 3-2 victory over the last-placed side.