Ibrahimović influence impresses coaches
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
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AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri and FC Viktoria Plzeň counterpart Pavel Vrba agreed Zlatan Ibrahimović was the difference between the sides as he made a scoring return from injury.
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Massimiliano Allegri, Milan coach
We started the game pretty well and tried to play some good football, but still allowed Viktoria some counterattacks. Our first goal made things easier for us when it came in the second half. In the last month I've had to stick to the same players as others have been injured, so Zlatan Ibrahimović's recovery was vital for us.
We played better in the second half when we started to push down the wings, leading to several chances, but after the second goal we relaxed too much and obviously took a few risks. Now we have a couple of days to recover before starting to to think about the next game [against Juventus]. Tonight's win is dedicated to our president [Silvio Berlusconi], who turns 75 tomorrow.
Pavel Vrba, Plzeň coach
I'm disappointed we didn't get a better result because of the performance we put in. On the other hand I'm pleased we created two or three clear chances and played at our best against such a strong team. Ibrahimović was the best player on the pitch; it was lucky for Milan that he had recovered in time as he decided the game.
