Marksman award in Ibrahimović's sights

Zlatan Ibrahimović has won nearly everything in Italian football since arriving from AFC Ajax five years ago but the Capocannoniere, awarded to the leading scorer in Serie A each season, is one title that has escaped his grasp.

Attributes
A Scudetto winner in each of the last two seasons with FC Internazionale Milano, the Swedish international is on course to make it a hat-trick of titles after the Nerazzurri's latest weekend triumph against Reggina Calcio. However, for all his attributes − physicality, pace, skill and awareness − finishing a campaign as the top marksman in Italy has so far eluded the 27-year-old, who is often labelled as lacking the killer instinct so essential for a top-class striker.

Joint top
On Sunday, Ibrahimović scored twice against Reggina in a 3-0 victory, the other goal coming from Esteban Cambiasso who celebrated by extending his contract until 2014. The double strike took Ibrahimović's tally to four in two matches after he claimed both goals in the 2-0 defeat of ACF Fiorentina a week earlier. He now tops the charts on 19 goals, level with Bologna FC's Marco Di Vaio, and has surpassed his previous best haul of 17 set last term.

'Very happy'
Inter's No8 converted from the penalty spot in the first half against the league's bottom club, then, after hitting the post with a ferocious shot from the edge of the area, scored his second goal of the match after the break with a smooth chip which dipped just under the crossbar. "This is an important victory for us because we maintained our seven-point margin ahead of Juventus," said Ibrahimović. "Now we have to play this way until the end of the season. Of course I'm very happy with my goals – they allowed the team to earn three points."

Best striker
With nine games remaining, Inter's fourth successive Scudetto is far from guaranteed with Juventus matching the Nerazzurri's every victory. However, despite their UEFA Champions League exit in the first knockout round, maybe La Beneamata have achieved their first objective of the season; to turn Ibrahimović from a forward into a real marksman, the best in Italy if possible.