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Zlatan Ibrahimovic had an electric debut for LA Galaxy in the 'El Trafico', where he scored two goals to complete an amazing comeback from 0-3 down and win the game for his side 4-3.
The first of his two goals was a 45-yard stunner. Where does that strike rank among Zlatan's best strikes? Read on to find out:
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#10 Ajax vs Olympique Lyonnais: UEFA Champions League 2002-03
The oldest entry in this list, this match was one of Ibrahimovic's first goals in the Champions League.
Ibrahimovic received a pass in the 10th minute and drifted wide, looking for an opening. This saw him end up at the edge of the box as two defenders closed in on him. Ibrahimovic simply rolled the ball past both the defenders and took a shot from a tight angle which hit the post and ended up in the back of the net.
It was an audacious attempt from the youngster, and an emphatic arrival for the Swedish striker who went on to become one of the most iconic figures in Champions League history despite never winning the elusive prize.
#9 Sweden vs France: UEFA Euro 2012
It was a dead-rubber game for Sweden and they were simply playing for pride as they had already been eliminated in the group stages of the 2012 Euros.
Ibrahimovic had scored in the loss to Ukraine, but they were still beaten by the hosts after a Schevchenko brace. In the next group game, Sweden fell to England 2-3 even though they were at one point leading England by 2 goals to 1.
In the final game, France just needed a win to seal their qualification. Their chances took a hit as Seb Larsson lobbed in a cross for Ibrahimovic, and he twisted mid-air for a spectacular volley. Lloris was absolutely helpless, and there was no chance of stopping that ferocious strike which later won the UEFA Euro 2012 Goal of the Tournament award.
Ibrahimovic also became the first ever player to be eliminated in the group stage and still feature in the UEFA Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament. Some achievement, huh?
#8 Paris Saint-Germain vs Anderlecht: UEFA Champions League 2013-14
In the 2013-14 Champions League campaign, Ibrahimovic's PSG were drawn into the same group as Olympiacos, Benfica and RSC Anderlecht. Ibrahimovic scored eight goals in the group stage, but four of them came against RSC Anderlecht on Matchday three.
Ibrahimovic had scored two goals in the first 20 minutes of the match, but his third goal was the truly memorable one. Maxwell tried to cross the ball into the box but failed. The ball just meandered into the empty space outside the box, and then the big Swede pounced.
It ended up as a scintillating outside foot shot which raced into the net at a staggering 95 miles per hour. Ibrahimovic went on to score another, as he finished the game with four strikes in the 0-5 thumping of Anderlecht. Edinson Cavani scored the other goal.
#7 Paris Saint-Germain vs SC Bastia: Ligue 1 2013-14
Zlatan is a very agile player for his size. That may be due to his martial arts training, but we see his skills come into use on the pitch all the time.
This was the case against SC Bastia on the 19th of October, 2013. Zlatan scored two goals along with Cavani, as PSG walked out 4-0 winners.
The 10th minute saw Lucas Moura make a run down the wing and cross the ball into the box. The cross took a deflection off Cavani, and Zlatan moved right outside the 6-yard box while lifting his feet into the air despite two defenders applying pressure on him. He just simply knocked the ball into the goal.
What's so special about this? It was a scorpion kick. Absolutely unfazed by the defenders crowding around him, he put his boot up and scorpion-kicked the ball into the net. The simplicity and calmness with which Zlatan scored this wonder goal had to be seen to be believed.
#6 A.C. Milan vs ACF Fiorentina: Serie A 2010-11
Looking to rebuild his reputation as one of the most lethal strikers in Europe after a dismal season in FC Barcelona, Zlatan moved back to Italy in a bid to revive his career. He succeeded remarkably in that endeavor, and one of the bright spots from his two-year stay in Milan came in his first season.
On the 21st of November, Zlatan's AC Milan faced off against ACF Fiorentina in a sluggish 1-0 affair. However, that one goal was the stuff of dreams.
Thiago Silva just lobbed the ball into the box, where Zlatan awaited. He juggled the ball with his first two touches, but his third touch saw him shoot the ball while not facing the goal in a wonderful bicycle effort to score the sole goal of the game.
The ball was bouncing around, so the technique required to do what Ibrahimovic did can't be overstated. It was a great finish which ultimately sealed the win for A.C. Milan. They went on to win their final Scudetto that season.
#5 El Trafico: Major League Soccer 2018
The most recent entry into this list, we saw Zlatan Ibrahimovic introduce the United States to a whole new animal in his debut in the El Trafico derby against L.A. Galaxy and L.A.F.C. This was the first derby match between the two clubs and it had Zlatan written all over it, as he scored two goals to complete a comeback from 0-3 down.
Zlatan was subbed into the game in the 70th minute as Galaxy were 1-3 down. Within six minutes, the score was 3-3, with the third goal coming courtesy of the debuting big man.
Later stating he was too tired to run, Zlatan saw the goalkeeper out of position and just shot a ball from 45 yards out. It was an absolutely sensational effort, as the ball was spinning mid-air and the control Zlatan exerted to swerve the ball and make it fall straight in the middle of the net was insane.
He scored a controversial header to win the match in stoppage time, but his first ever goal in the Galaxy outfit will go down as one of his best ever.
#4 Inter Milan vs Bologna: Serie A 2008-09
The season that saw Zlatan become the highest paid player in the world was also a fantastic season for the Swede. At the end of this campaign, he went to FC Barcelona in a deal including Samuel Eto'o and A LOT of money.
One of the early highlights of this campaign had to be Zlatan's phenomenal scorpion kick goal against Bologna.
Adriano was bombing down the wing and smacked a cross in. That cross found the big Swedish striker who, just like in his goal against Bastia, saw two defenders crowd him. He just simply picked up his leg and scored from an absolutely insane angle.
He added power, finesse and style to that shot which won Goal of the Year in Serie A that season. It was a phenomenal effort, which was made even more difficult by the angle and the speed at which the ball came in. Scoring a goal like that is the mark of a top quality striker.
Yet, this is only number 4 in our list.
#3 Sweden vs Italy: UEFA Euro 2004
Zlatan did very well for Sweden on the European stage, scoring in three consecutive Euros. Euro 2004 was his first.
This group stage bout saw Sweden eke out a late draw against Italy, the young Ibrahimovic salvaging a point for the Swedes. And this match saw one of the best goals in the history of the Euros.
Its the 85th minute and Sweden had crowded the Italian box, which was full of Italian players. There were 16 players in the box (not including Gigi Buffon in the Italian goal) out of the 20 outfield players on the pitch.
A corner came flying in but it wasn't adequately dealt with by the Italian defence. As multiple Swedish strikers tried to bury the shot in the net, a young and hungry Zlatan Ibrahimovic rose above Christian Vieri and used his heel to score a goal with his back to towards the goal.
It was an absolutely monstrous effort which the then 23-year-old striker absolutely nailed.
#2 AFC Ajax vs NAC Breda: Eredivisie 2004-05
One of the best goals in his career was also his final goal for Ajax, as he would soon leave for Juventus after having disagreements with Rafael van der Vaart because he allegedly intentionally injured the Dutchman. As van der Vaart recovered from injury and saw the match from the corporate box, Zlatan was busy amazing the entire world in just one simple run.
As he received the ball a few ways from the box, Zlatan decided to look for opportunities. He pushed a defender off himself and then took a fake shot. He followed that up with another fake shot.
After dribbling for a few seconds, he took another fake shot, and another one after that. After he drew the goalkeeper out, Zlatan took a final fake shot, passed the ball to his left foot and scored an absolutely otherworldly goal - the like of which the Eredivisie had never seen before.
This goal won the Eurosport 2004 Goal of the Year award. It is also known as his Maradona goal, as the commentator yelled 'Maradona can do it, Zidane can do it, but Ibrahimovic can do it too'. How correct did that end up being?
#1 Sweden vs England: International Friendlies 2012
It was the day that Zlatan Ibrahimovic destroyed England.
Years of criticism from the English media relayed one fact: Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a good player, but can't perform against English opposition. This criticism was left silenced after Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored four goals in one night against the national team, which featured one of the best goals in footballing history right at the end.
Joe Hart ran out of his box to clear the ball, but couldn't head the ball far enough. Zlatan, fully aware that Hart was out of his box, saw the ball float in the air and then just threw caution to the wind.
An absolutely emphatic bicycle kick followed as the ball went straight into the English net, as no one could fathom stopping that shot.
This was the first ever match at the new Swedish national stadium, and the headlining act was one of the best players in Swedish history. This match saw the demise of Ryan Shawcross's international career, and Zlatan's goal would end up winning the 2013 Puskas Award.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the master of goalscoring, and these 10 efforts particularly emphasise what an amazing player he is and how he is one of the most creative and lethal finishers of the 21st century.
