Solskjaer Relishing Ibrahimovic Test As Man Utd Face AC Milan In Europa League
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is relishing the prospect of facing the evergreen Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the Europa League round of 16 stage after the Red Devils were drawn against AC Milan in Friday’s draw.
Ibrahimovic spent a year-and-a-half at Old Trafford, winning the League Cup, Europa League and Community Shield before a serious knee injury hampered his Manchester United. The former Inter Milan, Paris Saint Germain, Barcelona and Ajax Amsterdam striker scored 29 goals in 53 appearances during his stay in the red half of Manchester.
After getting his mojo back playing in the Major League Soccer for LA Galaxy, Ibrahimovic returned for a second spell with AC Milan and has been instrumental in the Rossoneri’s rise up the Serie A table even at the grand old age of 39.
Ibrahimovic has 14 goals in just 13 Serie A games for AC Milan this season.
United will face a Milan side featuring Diogo Dalot, who is on loan from Old Trafford, and Solskjaer is excited by the challenge that awaits them next month.
"We just continue our tradition of picking difficult teams," the manager told Sky Sports of the draw. "[It's] a tie that feels like a Champions League game as well, which is good.
"I think it's important for our team to always have that demand and not feel that it's a given. And of course this is not a gimme – Milan, they're on the up, they've done really well this season.
"They've got some former friends of ours. The history of the club is fantastic so we're looking forward to [facing] them."
On Ibrahimovic, Solskjaer added: "It's incredible what he's done.
"When we think back when he was here, when he had a career-threatening injury and the way he's come back, the way he's played, the way he's moved AC Milan towards the top of the league again.
"And of course Diogo is there. So we know that we're in for a good fight but before then we have a few other games that we have to look after."
