ROME: Turning 40 hasn’t stopped Zlatan Ibrahimovic from being Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

       The ageless Sweden great, whose 40th birthday was on Oct 3, scored one goal and also drew a penalty that led to AC Milan’s second goal in a 2-1 win at Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma in Serie A on Sunday.

       Before he was substituted near the hour mark, Ibrahimovic tormented Roma with chance after chance, with only the offside rule and VAR preventing him from scoring or setting up several more goals.

       The victory extended Milan’s superb start in Serie A and kept the Rossoneri level on points with Napoli, who still lead on goal difference after a 1-0 win over regional rivals Salernitana.

       Ibrahimovic broke the deadlock just before the half-hour mark at the Stadio Olimpico with a powerful free kick through Roma’s wall.

       He believed he had claimed a second, and a fourth for the campaign, but VAR adjudged him to be offside, after 50 minutes.

       Milan eventually claimed a second as Ivory Coast midfielder Franck Kessie converted from the penalty spot just before the hour mark.

       They then ended with 10 men after Theo Hernandez picked up his second yellow card before Stephan El Shaarawy pulled one back for Roma in stoppage time.

       Poland midfielder Piotr Zielinski scored as league leaders Napoli overcame lowly Salernitana.

       Zielinski claimed his second goal of the season with half an hour left at the Arechi Stadium following a header from Andrea Petagna that hit the crossbar as both sides finished with 10 men.

       Joaquin Correa’s slick second-half double earned Inter Milan a 2-0 win over Udinese as the defending champions remain seven points behind the leaders.

       Inter dominated from the start at San Siro and Correa finally got the breakthrough goal on the hour, running through afer Ivan Perisic’s dummy to sidestep Udinese centre back Bram Nuytinck and shoot inside the near post.

       He doubled up on the 68th minute, blasting the ball into the roof of the net with Denzel Dumfries providing a neat assist from the right.

       Elsewhere on Sunday, Serbia attacker Dusan Vlahovic scored a hat-trick to take his goal tally for the season to 10 in 12 games as Fiorentina beat Spezia 3-0 to move to within one point of fourth-placed Roma.

       Spezia slipped into the relegation zone after Genoa moved above them on goal difference thanks to a 0-0 draw at home to fellow strugglers Venezia while two late goals saw Empoli come from behind to win 2-1 at Sassuolo.

       Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2021