This is Ibrahimovic. Although he's not in his best form, he always manages to contribute. This was his fourth consecutive game scoring, and all four goals were crucial. More importantly, in this season's Champions League matches, Ibrahimovic scored 4 goals in just 5 games. Out of the 8 points AC Milan accumulated in the Champions League, 7 points came from Ibrahimovic's goals (Milan won 6 points by defeating Auxerre twice, with Ibrahimovic scoring three goals; in the 1-1 draw against Ajax, it was also Ibrahimovic who scored). It can be said that the reason Milan could advance to the next round one round ahead of schedule is mainly due to Ibrahimovic's contributions.
The opportunity came in the 64th minute when Seedorf passed the ball, and Auxerre defender Dudka accidentally hooked the ball to the edge of the penalty area while trying to clear it. Ibrahimovic, advancing at the time, changed direction towards the ball and then shot powerfully with his right foot without adjusting. The ball flew into the top corner of the net like a bullet! This goal was remarkable for three reasons: first, if Ibrahimovic had stopped the ball even for a moment, Auxerre's defenders would have arrived in time to block his shot. He made the best choice under extreme pressure and chose the most difficult way; secondly, although Ibrahimovic found an opportunity to shoot, it wasn't inside the penalty area. If he hadn't executed the shot with extremely high quality, it would have been very hard to score, but he succeeded. The third point is the most important: this was Ibrahimovic's first and only shot of the game, and he managed to score, fully demonstrating the ability of a superstar.
After the match, the Swedish player was happy: "We thought about scoring from start to finish, but the game was tough. Auxerre was aggressive. I was tired today and made some mistakes, but the team performed well, and I scored a great goal." Allegri emphasized Ibrahimovic's importance again after the match: "It's unimaginable without Ibrahimovic. No one in our team can play like him."
For many years, Ibrahimovic has been a polarizing player. His strengths are obvious: he is a league-type player, steady in form, and always capable of scoring goals. However, his weaknesses were mostly evident in European competitions. For years, his performances in the Champions League have always fallen short of expectations. But this season, Ibrahimovic's performance gives people the feeling that since coming to AC Milan, influenced by Milan's Champions League DNA, he seems to have undergone some kind of evolution.
4 goals in 5 Champions League matches, an average of 0.8 goals per game, what people see now is an unprecedented Ibrahimovic. The Swedish player's average goal-scoring rate in Champions League matches (excluding this year) was 20 goals in 75 matches, averaging 0.27 goals per game. Now, his efficiency has nearly tripled! Historically, the season where Ibrahimovic scored the most goals in the Champions League was 2007-2008, when he scored 5 goals. Now, Ibrahimovic is close to breaking this record. Once he overcomes this nightmare in the Champions League, there will no longer be any flaws in Ibrahimovic's game.
In fact, in today's match, due to the slippery field conditions, playing away, and being at a physical disadvantage (Auxerre rested nearly half of their starting lineup in the last league match, while Milan played full-out), the Rossoneri struggled offensively in the first 60 minutes of the game and didn't even manage a single shot on target. The Rossoneri focused all their efforts on stabilizing the situation and defending against the opponent's initial strong attacks, relying entirely on individual skills in attack. During these 60 minutes, Ibrahimovic was doing three things. First, he acted as a tactical pivot. Teammates initiated attacks through long passes, and Ibrahimovic's two header layoffs to Robinho and Seedorf created shooting opportunities, though the shots weren't well executed, his role as a tactical pivot was evident. Second, Ibrahimovic fully participated in defense, controlling the first touch during several free-kick and corner situations, and he completed one interception. Third, and most importantly, Ibrahimovic was waiting for the opportunity.