MILAN: Zlatan Ibrahimovic set up two goals but was also sent off as AC Milan won 3-1 at relegation-threatened Parma on Saturday to keep its small Serie A title hopes alive.
Ibrahimovic had a hand in both Milan’s first-half goals but was shown a straight red card on the hour mark. Riccardo Gagliolo reduced the deficit but substitute Rafael Leão sealed the result in stoppage time as Milan moved to within eight points of league leader Inter Milan, which hosts Cagliari on Sunday.
Milan is in a tight fight for second place with Juventus and Atalanta. Both play on Sunday.
In Parma, Milan got off to a perfect start as Ibrahimovic sent a throughball to Ante Rebic, who gathered with his back to goal, spun round and fired powerfully into the top right corner.
The 39-year-old Ibrahimovic was also involved in Milan’s second, a minute from the break. Theo Hernández played a one-two with the Sweden forward and touched it onto Franck Kessié, who drilled into the bottom left corner.
Parma had a triple chance to get back into the match five minutes into the second half but Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma pulled off a double save to deny first Andrea Conti and then Graziano Pellè, and Juraj Kucka’s attempt was over the bar.
Ibrahimovic was sent off shortly after for something he appeared to say to referee Fabio Maresca and Parma got back into the match six minutes later. A ball was floated to the back post and Pellè nodded it across to Gagliolo, who managed to prod in from close range.
Milan held on and made sure of all three points when Diogo Dalot raced down the right and rolled across for fellow substitute Leão to fire into the bottom right corner, shortly after coming off the bench.