MILAN, March 19 — Zlatan Ibrahimovic grew to become the oldest goalscorer in the background of Serie A on Saturday but could not quit AC Milan from slipping to a 3-1 defeat at Udinese.
Ibrahimovic, 41, was in Milan’s starting up line-up for the 1st time due to the fact January very last 12 months and smashed residence a penalty at the next try in 1st-fifty percent stoppage time to make the rating 1-1 following Roberto Pereyra’s ninth-moment opener.
But it was not ample to prevent fourth-put Milan from losing their fourth match absent from house in their final 5 and miss out on the chance to transfer provisionally second in Italy’s best flight.
Stefano Pioli’s crew stay fourth, two points at the rear of area rivals Inter Milan in 2nd in the race for the Champions League.
They will fall out of the top rated four if Roma earn the Rome derby with Lazio on Sunday night while Inter facial area fierce rivals Juventus hoping to steal a march on their rivals for Europe’s top club levels of competition.
“When a workforce plays like this it indicates the coach hasn’t done his career. We performed way below our typical,” Pioli told Sky.
“We not in a superior situation in the league and receiving into the leading 4 is so essential for us… We’ve not performed adequate in excess of the previous few months.”
Donning the captain’s armband Ibrahimovic skipped his 1st spot-kick but was specified a next likelihood when Beto was penalised for encroachment, and thumped his shot down the middle of the goal.
At 41 several years and 166 days outdated Ibrahimovic overtook previous AC Milan defender Alessandro Costacurta — who also netted from Udinese in 2007 aged 41 — as the oldest scorer in Italy’s top rated flight.
He experienced beforehand manufactured three substitute appearances this season right after being sidelined given that May past 12 months, pursuing reconstructive surgical procedure on the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Udinese mentor Andrea Sottil was sent off for his protests at the selection to award the penalty for a Jaka Bijol handball and then make it possible for Ibrahimovic to retake next Marco Silvestri’s excellent help save.
But Sottil’s facet had been forward at the crack as Beto manufactured up for his before error by ending off Isaac Success’ minimal cross on the stroke of 50 %-time.
And Kingsley Ehizibue designed certain of Udinese’s second gain in as quite a few league matches, just their third considering the fact that early Oct, thieving in at the back put up to poke in Future Udogie’s mishit shot.
Udinese’s first home gain considering the fact that mid-September moves them up to eighth, stage on 38 factors with Juve and a position forward of Bologna who drew 2-2 at Salernitana earlier on Saturday.
“It’s a terrific get, we were in a tricky interval but we worked tricky and we deserved this acquire,” reported Pereyra to Sky.
“We’re likely in the suitable way and we have to have to retain going, we know what our attributes are.
“We’ve bought 11 matches still left and we’ll give it a go with every person.”
Monza drew 1-1 with battling Cremonese in the day’s initial match. — AFP
