Who are you? PSG need the real Ibrahimovic back and not his imposter
Posted Monday, January 26, 2015 by Goal.com
COMMENT: The Swede's penalty was decisive in Sunday's 1-0 win against Saint-Etienne, but if the champions are going to defend their crown they need much more from their star man
By Robin Bairner | French football expert
Saint-Etienne are a favoured prey of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, so perhaps it was inevitable that he would make the difference when Paris Saint-Germain secured a hard-fought 1-0 success at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on Sunday evening.
Ibra has faced the Loire side on eight occasions and from these encounters he has plundered eight goals, including five in three matches this term.
There was nothing straightforward about the victory, however. PSG laboured to break down France’s best defensive unit, while the spot-kick that proved the difference was the result of a horrendous refereeing decision as Jeremy Clement was punished for a non-existent handball.
While Ibrahimovic converted the penalty with minimal fuss, the performance from the 33-year-old was well below the sparkling level Ligue 1 fans have become accustomed to.
The Swede was involved in plenty of build-up play, but on too few occasions did he threaten the opposition goal. By dropping deep, he left his side without a central threat.
With only four goals since the end of August, the Ibrahimovic who scored 26 times last season or 30 the campaign before has been nowhere to be seen. A chronic heel problem has hampered the forward throughout this term, and he remains short of 100 per cent fitness, regardless of Blanc's denials in recent media conferences.
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