If, like some neutrals, you’ve stopped watching Serie A because Inter Milan is walking away with it, you’d be remiss in failing to notice the current form of one of the world’s best strikers, writes the Guardian’s James Richardson. No, he’s not talking about Roma’s Francesco Totti (although penalty kicks aside, he’s having a fantastic season in his own right), but rather Inter Milan’s arrogant Swede, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who this year is finally living up to his own hype. Last season he was under-whelming with Juventus, and then he had a World Cup in which you’d be forgiven for wondering if he even played, but Ibra this year is scoring goals, making goals and displaying the kind of breathtaking skill that would make Ronaldinho envious.
Case in point: his performance last weekend against Livorno. It was a microcosm of everything the big Swede is good at: he held the ball brilliantly, danced past defenders with ease, conjuring up the kind of improvisations where he nearly faked himself out. With Inter trailing, 1-0, the man they call “Ibracadabra” set up striking partner Julio Cruz with a simple finish from 12 yards after a spectacular mid-air backheel pass that left Livorno’s defenders standing. Later, he went on to score the winner with what Richardson describes as “probably his least-interesting kick of the game.” After the game, Livorno striker Cristiano Lucarelli, himself something of an artist, said: “Ibrahimovic won that game on his own. He’s not natural,” adding later, “I’d say he’s ready to be a real contender for the Ballon d’Or.”