- Rafael Leão - 46'
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 64'
Ibrahimovic scores on second full Milan debut in win over Cagliari
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored on his second full Milan debut as the Rossoneri won 2-0 away at Cagliari on Saturday.
The 38-year-old left Milan in 2012 and, following spells at Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and LA Galaxy, he returned at the beginning of the year and made his first appearance from the substitute's bench in a 0-0 draw with Sampdoria.
- Watch live Serie A football on ESPN+
However, when handed his first start by manager Stefano Pioli for the trip to high-flying Cagliari made more of an impact with game's second goal on 64 minutes, after Rafael Leao had given the visitors the lead just after the break.
It's important for a striker to score; sometimes it goes in, sometimes it doesn't," Ibrahimovic told Sky Sport Italia. "I feel good.
"I got a few things wrong at the start of the game, but I need a few matches to get into top form. The coach thinks about my age but it's not a problem, my mind is still sharp and the body must follow."
Pioli added: "This was certainly a different performance to recent outings. We were more effective, more solid, Zlatan's presence clearly gives us a reference point to build around and it'll take us a while to really get to know each other.
"It was an important and deserved victory to start building a better future."
Cagliari had come into this match on the back of three straight defeats, which had seen them drop to sixth place, having been in contention for a Champions League spot.
Milan, meanwhile, move into the top half of the table, above Napoli, who face Lazio later on Saturday.
Information from Reuters was used in this report
Game Information
Italian Serie A Standings
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napoli | 13 | 9 | 2 | 2 | +11 | 29 |
| Atalanta | 13 | 9 | 1 | 3 | +18 | 28 |
| Internazionale | 13 | 8 | 4 | 1 | +17 | 28 |
| Fiorentina | 13 | 8 | 4 | 1 | +17 | 28 |
| Lazio | 13 | 9 | 1 | 3 | +14 | 28 |
| Juventus | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0 | +14 | 25 |
| AC Milan | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | +6 | 19 |
| Bologna | 12 | 4 | 6 | 2 | -1 | 18 |
| Udinese | 13 | 5 | 2 | 6 | -3 | 17 |
| Empoli | 13 | 3 | 7 | 3 | -1 | 16 |
| Torino | 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 15 |
| AS Roma | 13 | 3 | 4 | 6 | -4 | 13 |
| Parma | 13 | 2 | 6 | 5 | -4 | 12 |
| Hellas Verona | 13 | 4 | 0 | 9 | -15 | 12 |
| Lecce | 13 | 3 | 3 | 7 | -15 | 12 |
| Cagliari | 13 | 2 | 5 | 6 | -10 | 11 |
| Genoa | 13 | 2 | 5 | 6 | -13 | 11 |
| Como | 13 | 2 | 4 | 7 | -12 | 10 |
| Monza | 13 | 1 | 6 | 6 | -5 | 9 |
| Venezia | 13 | 2 | 2 | 9 | -11 | 8 |
Serie A News