Ibrahimovic back for AC Milan - 7M sport

Ibrahimovic back for AC Milan



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Posted Saturday, April 09, 2011 by Supersport.com

Ibrahimovic back for AC Milan

Serie A leaders AC Milan are upbeat and confident after a crucial win over Inter Milan, and can welcome back striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic from suspension to help them in the final rush of the title race.

The towering Swede, the Devils' leading scorer with 14 goals, missed the last two games, but will now team up again with Brazilian Pato on Sunday night at Fiorentina.

Pato improved his tally to 13 with a brace in the big 3-0 over the champions and crosstown rivals Inter.

With seven games left, the Rossoneri are three points ahead of Napoli and fived ahead of Inter.

Milan forward Antonio Cassano and home hero Adrian Mutu are suspended in Florence, where Alberto Gilardino, on target in a 2-2 draw at Cesena, looks to hurt his former club.

Coach Cesare Prandelli, who was at Fiorentina for five seasons before taking over the Italian national team last May, said he thinks that the game in Florence can be crucial.

"Lately, the Purples are very balanced and strong," Prandelli said. "They have got back some important players and against the Rossoneri it will be a great game to watch, considering that the Devils have always struggled at the (Artemio) Franchi.

"It will not be a stroll, although I think that the scudetto is in Milan's hands and it is up to them not to lose it."

Meanwhile, in the highly superstitious city of Naples no one dares mention the word "scudetto," but midfielder Andrea Dossena said that the team "will try to be protagonists until the end to get as high as possible.

"We respect everybody. We have the humility and the awareness of our limits, but we do not give up."

Napoli will be joined by some 10 000 club fans when they play Sunday at mid-table Bologna, but hero Edinson Cavani is suspended.

The Uruguayan striker scored a hat-trick in a big 4-3 comeback win against Lazio last weekend to draw level on 25 goals with Udinese's Antonio Di Natale.

In a weekend opener Saturday, Inter host minnows Chievo, which should help them recover from the derby defeat and a ruinous 5-2 home drubbing by Germany's Schalke, which virtually ended their chances to retain the Champions League title.

Fourth-placed Udinese play a tough match later Saturday against Roma, with both sides looking to rebound from defeats.

Lazio are two points behind the Champions League zone when they welcome Parma and their new coach Franco Colomba on Sunday. Juventus have an Europa League berth in their sights ahead of their Sunday noon date with Genoa.

Coach Delio Rossi is back on Palermo's bench a month after his sacking and leads the Sicily side against lowly Cesena. Cagliari take on struggling Brescia, Sampdoria welcome Lecce in a relegation tie and bottom side Bari play Catania.



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