It’s reassuring to know the best parts of 2013 are sticking around. Lionel Messi’s scoring goals, big-name Americans are coming back to MLS, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Though the mustache and goatee (in the video, above) try to trick us into thinking today’s was a kind of Bizarro Zlatan, the goals give him away. This was clearly the same Ibra has collected 18 goals and six assists through 21 games this season - a player whose Wednesday hat trick has him closing in on a goal-per-game rate for the 2013-14 campaign.
Steering Paris Saint-Germain to a 5-2 Round of 64 win at Brest in the Coupe de France, Ibrahimovic opened the scoring after 10 minutes, getting the outside of his right boot around a cross from the left to beat Joan Hartock from 15 yards out. Thiago Motta would double PSG’s lead five minutes later, but when Benoit Lesoimier halved the visitors’ lead in the 33rd minute, Ibra was compelling to respond.
In the 39th minute, a restart from the left fell to an unmarked Ibrahimovic near the edge of the six-yard box, the Swede electing to cushion the ball inside the left post to restore PSG’s two-goal lead. Three minutes later, Zlatan’s found alone toward the left of goal and calmly chips the onrushing Kartock to give PSG a 4-1 lead at halftime.
The sides exchanged second half goals on the way to the 5-2 result, but the Parisians’ lopsided victory will be overshadowed by another stellar individual day from Ibrahimovic. Pushing his season goal total to 21, Ibrahimovic barely broke a sweat, a testament not only to his team’s second-tier opposition but the ease with which the Swedish captain can go about his game.
At times, Ibrahimovic truly does appear to be on a different wavelength than the rest of the soccer world, and although anybody can cruise through an early round Cup match against overmatched opposition, few could post a hat trick while doing so. It may be 2014, but 2013 Ibra has stayed with us.
