Milan, Ibra owner with Udinese? It would break a Costacurta record

“I can’t run anymore.” The phrase is copyrighted by Billy Costacurta, who spoke the seven words in May 2007, when he left Milan and football, scoring from a penalty against Udinese. At 41 years and 25 days old, it remains the oldest goal in Serie A history. That sentence, by eye, will never come out of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s mouth, who if anything – feeling divine – will stop running and start levitating on the pitch. However, this evening in Udine Ibra will have another opportunity, the greatest, to overtake Costacurta and become the oldest scorer in the championship (sorry Zlatan, the least young). The opponent is the same – Udinese – and maybe that will mean something. It certainly means something if Ibra is ready to play and Pioli has chosen him. Barring improbable second thoughts, Zlatan will be AC ​​Milan’s starting center forward at 41 years, five months and 15 days. It means that he is fine, better than anyone imagined after May’s operation on his left knee. And that Divock Origi, the natural alternative to the suspended Giroud, has disappointed a lot in recent months.

He wants to play

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Stefano Pioli also spoke about Zlatan yesterday at the press conference: “Ibrahimovic experiences all of this with his teammates, he won’t be in the Champions League but he knows that at the time of making the lists he was not in condition to play. Then it’s clear, he wants to play them all and win them all, he is unique in terms of strength and determination. Zlatan is fine, he doesn’t have 90 minutes but he is ready ”. The minutes of autonomy are 45, at most 60, but Milan hope to make them enough. Ibra hasn’t been a starter since January 23, 2022 but he has just been re-called up by Sweden and in the three games with Atalanta, Fiorentina and Salernitana he seemed inevitably slowed down but reactive, present above all with his head.

The doubt list

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Pioli’s sentence on the Champions League list risks becoming topical again next month. Milan had to hand in the players list for the direct elimination when Ibra was already training but hadn’t yet returned to the pitch. Pioli excluded him (and not Ballo-Touré, Rebic or Origi) but it is easy to say that Zlatan, with this scoreboard, would have been useful. Above all, it’s easy to imagine what volcano would stir in Ibrahimovic’s heart if Milan were to play for the Champions League, the mirage pursued for a career, and he had to watch everything from the stands.

Champions race

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Pioli doesn’t think about it now and on this Saturday in March he only asks for one thing: three points to calmly watch tomorrow’s Rome derby at 6pm. Milan are now fourth, -1 from Lazio and +1 over Roma. Mandatory to win. For this, Pioli canceled the turnover: “The best are playing”. Milan will essentially be the same as in the last few games, with Bennacer favorite over Krunic and a doubt about Theo Hernandez, who wasn’t well yesterday. If it gets worse, ready Ballo-Touré (and it’s not the same thing). Still bench for Kjaer and Calabria, pillars of the Scudetto team who, between injuries and technical choices, are playing very little. They will come in handy after the stop.

It’s Leao’s turn

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The big argument on the road to Udine, however, is the attack. Milan have scored 9 goals in their last 11 games and haven’t seen a goal from Leao since 14 January. A life. “I advise him to stay close to those who love him – said Pioli -. He is not depressed, he is a great player ”. Ah, speaking of players to unlock, consider that Gourcuff, De Ketelaere’s little alter ego, scored in Costacurta’s Milan-Udinese match. Want to see that CDK has a chance too?