AC Milan‘s Zlatan Ibrahimovic turned the oldest goalscorer in Serie A historical past but it surely was not sufficient to stop them struggling a 3-1 loss at Udinese on Saturday in a blow to the defending champions’ hopes of securing a top-four end.
Milan missed the prospect to leap to second and remained fourth with 48 factors, some extent away from fifth-placed AS Roma, who play Lazio on Sunday. Udinese are eighth on 38 factors.
“It was a negative performance. When the team plays like this, neither aggressive, nor intense, nor precise or focused, it means the coach has worked badly in preparing the match. We were too far below our capabilities this evening,” Milan supervisor Stefano Pioli advised Sky Sport Italia.
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“Look, it’s clear we won’t retain the Scudetto, but we can win this mini-league of teams trying to qualify for the Champions League. We want and can do better this season.”
It took Milan 20 minutes to get a foothold within the match after the hosts had taken an aggressive strategy from the primary whistle, creating a number of possibilities to double their lead.
It was Milan who struck subsequent nevertheless, albeit in complicated circumstances.
Milan striker Ibrahimovic first missed a penalty after a handball late within the first half, earlier than it was ordered to be retaken attributable to encroachment after play had already continued for a minute.
Udinese coach Andrea Sottil was despatched off after verbally abusing the referee following the choice.
Ibrahimovic, who was beginning his first sport since January 2022, didn’t miss a second time, changing 4 minutes into first-half stoppage time, to change into the oldest goalscorer in Serie A historical past at 41 years and 166 days.
He surpassed the earlier file set by Alessandro Costacurta in 2007 by 141 days. Costacurta additionally scored his final aim from the penalty spot for Milan in a defeat in opposition to Udinese.
The celebrations had been short-lived, nevertheless, as Beto put Udinese again forward two minutes later when he transformed an Isaac Success cross from shut vary.
Udinese made positive of the win when an unmarked Kingsley Ehizibue tapped in a cross from Future Udogie on the again publish within the seventieth minute.
The win maintained Udinese’s hopes of enjoying in Europe subsequent season, as they moved as much as eighth place, seven factors behind Atalanta in sixth, the final qualification place.