Fiorentina emerged victorious with a 4-3 victory against AC Milan in Round 13 of Serie A and it was the performances of their respective strikers that particularly caught the eye.
Dusan Vlahovic played his part in the Gigliati win with two goals while Zlatan Ibrahimovic also found the back of the net twice as he tried to inspire a Rossoneri comeback.
The young Serbian striker has said that the Swedish veteran was his idol growing up but the 21-year-old was the one celebrating his team’s victory after the final whistle.
VLAHOVIC INSPIRES THE GIGLIATI
Although Fiorentina were pegged back by Milan for parts of the game, especially in the first half, they were much better in taking their chances and Vlahovic demonstrated why he is one of the best young strikers in football.
He supplied the assist for Riccardo Saponara to score a lovely goal just before half-time and he then went on to grab a brace in the second half. Despite facing an experience defender like Simon Kjaer, he displayed his ability to evade defenders and finish in a clinical fashion.
Vlahovic has been a target for some of Europe’s biggest clubs in recent months and it is becoming clear to see.
He has equalled the record of Kurt Hamrin from 1960 for the most Serie A goals scored by a Fiorentina player in a calendar year with 27 goals, and only Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has scored more in one of Europe’s Top Five leagues in 2021, with 38 strikes.
The 21-year-old will probably be sold for a figure north of €70 million and he has already demonstrated that he is a prolific scorer. One can only imagine how much he will be and how lethal of a finisher he can be in a few years’ time.
ZLATAN NOT ENOUGH FOR ROSSONERI
Zlatan Ibrahimovic once again showed that age is no deterrent for him. The Swedish great was still AC Milan’s best player in the defeat to Fiorentina and he probably could have scored more than two goals against the Gigliati.
A mixture of good saves from Pietro Terracciano and wasteful finishing denied the Rossoneri from earning at least one point in Florence but Ibrahimovic got himself into the right positions to score in the second half.
His brace against Fiorentina made him the oldest player to score multiple goals in Serie A game at 40 years and 48 days, beating the record of Roma legend Francesco Totti at 39 years and 206 days. He also became the oldest player to score multiple goals in a match in one of Europe’s Top Five leagues in the 21st century.
Time is not on Ibrahimovic’s side, but when he is fit, he can still make a positive impact for AC Milan.
