PSG's talismanic striker has once again led from the front this season and has played a vital role in the club's recent run. It was his return from injury which inspired the Parisiens back to winning ways having drawn six of their first nine games in the division without their mercurial striker.
Zlatan has been very impressive this season and has scored 15 times in 20 appearances in all competitions. It is safe to say that for the French side to get the better of Chelsea, Zlatan will have to be in top form.
However what does not bode well for the big Swede and for PSG is Ibra's poor record against English sides. In the 16 matches he has played against Premier League opposition Ibrahimovic has managed to score just three times with all his strikes coming at the expense of Arsenal.
It took Ibra five matches to break the dead lock against the Gunners having failed to score against Wenger's men in his first four matches (two apiece for Ajax and Juventus). His first goal against an English side came during Barcelona's 2-2 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates, with the Swedish international failing to make it into Pep Guardiola's first eleven for the second leg.
He then scored in a scintillating two legged encounter against Arsenal in the 2011-12 season which ended 4-3 in AC Milan's favour, but he did not find much luck in the second leg. This means that in seven appearances against Arsene Wenger's side, Ibra has failed to score in five.
Prior to getting off the mark against Arsenal, Ibra had gone 10 matches without managing to score against an English side. He has played four times against Liverpool, failing to score in any of those appearances. he faced the Reds for the first time in the 2004-05 Champions League, a match Juventus lost 2-1 on aggregate. He then met Liverpool again while representing Inter Milan with the Italian side suffering a 3-0 defeat on aggregate. Zlatan was given a good time to make an impression in all of these matches and played all but 11 minutes in all of the four games combined but was unable to make a name for himself.
His poor record against English sides continued as his Inter Milan side was on the receiving end of a 2-0 defeat on aggregate at the hands of Manchester United in the 2008-09 season as Ibra played the full 180 minutes. But his disappointing run against Premier League sides does not end here, as an AC Milan player Ibra suffered another defeat this time at the hands of Tottenham in the 2010-11 edition of the Champions League.
As a result Ibra has experienced a victory in just two of the 16 matches he has played against Premier League sides. This tells us that English sides perhaps know how to deal with the threat posed by the big Swede and that restricting the impact Ibra can have on the game will make life much easier for the opposition.
One man who is no stranger to his qualities is Portuguese tactician Jose Mourinho who managed the mercurial striker during his time at Inter Milan. Mourinho's sides are known for their resilience in defence which should make life much more difficult for Ibra and PSG. The Chelsea boss had a productive summer transfer window which saw him bringing in a hoard of talent which has allowed him to build a stronger side which PSG will definitely find difficult to deal with.
Mourinho is an astute tactician and will definitely not be drawn in by Ibra's poor record against English sides and will have a plan devised to keep PSG's star player at bay. Even though he might not have enjoyed much luck against the Premier League clubs, Ibra's class is for all to know. His four goal heroics against England in November 2012 should be a reminder for everyone as to what he is capable of doing. Ibra himself will have the record at the back of his mind and like always will be eager to silent his doubters.
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