AC Milan don't need divine intervention to reach the Europa League quarter-finals but they do have their 'God' back.
The Italian giants are in the driving seat of their last-16 tie against Manchester United having secured a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
As things stand, Stefano Pioli's side have the advantage courtesy of Simon Kjaer's 92nd-minute header in injury time - an away goal.
Milan were by far the better side in that match on March 11 and what's all the more impressive was the fact they did it without several stars such as Hakan Calhanoglu, Ante Rebic and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Ibrahimovic is expected to return for Thursday's second leg, having missed Milan's previous four matches, in what could be a pivotal moment for both teams.
The 39-year-old is without doubt Milan's talisman and seeing him back on the pitch will give them a significant boost, while also striking fear into United.
Those associated with the Red Devils are all too aware of the talent that the striker possesses. He was denied a return to Old Trafford in the first leg, where he scored 29 goals in 53 appearances for United between 2016 and 2018 and played a crucial role in their 2017 League Cup and Europa League victories, due to a muscle injury.
Ibrahimovic's time at United was short - ruined by a serious knee injury - but he made an undeniable impact while at the Theatre of Dreams.
Despite a storied career, his arrival there was met with questions about his ability to handle the demands of English football at 34 years old.
The veteran striker had a superb first season in England and scored 28 goals. Two of those came in the 3-2 League Cup final victory over Southampton, including an 87th-minute match-winning header .
His debut campaign was curtailed by a cruciate ligament knee injury in April 2017 and he failed to recover from that before he left in March 2018.
Fast-forward three years and the Swede could now come up against two team-mates he knows well on Thursday: Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof.
The defensive duo joined United in the same window (summer 2016) as Ibrahimovic, so all three immersed themselves into the club's culture at the same time.
Ibrahimovic already had a good relationship with Lindelof, with the pair having played together for Sweden beforehand. They're set to be reunited on the international stage with Ibrahimovic announcing his decision to step out of retirement.
'The return of the God,' the charismatic striker tweeted after being included on Tuesday in Sweden's squad for World Cup qualifiers against Georgia on March 25 and Kosovo three days later, as well as a friendly against Estonia on March 31.
Meanwhile, he and Bailly built a brilliant rapport while at United. The pair were often fooling around together on social media. In August 2017, Bailly shared footage of himself kicking Ibrahimovic in the dressing room before running off.
'Hope you're almost ready to return,' wrote Bailly, sensing the big personality of the then 35-year-old was set to grace the United set-up once again.
Bailly's sentiments will be very different this time around with the Ivorian knowing he's in line for a tough evening, should he start.
Lindelof and Bailly are likely to be fighting for one spot alongside captain Harry Maguire at the heart of United's defence on Thursday night.
Logic would suggest Bailly would be the likely starter on the account that he has played in all three of the Red Devils' games in this competition this season. However, with a FA Cup quarter-final at Leicester on Sunday, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may preserve the Ivorian for that encounter to combat the threat of Jamie Vardy.
Whoever Solskjaer picks, he knows his centre backs will be given a tough evening up against Ibrahimovic.
Despite his age, the Swede is still brilliant on the ground or in the air. His touch remains as exquisite as ever, while he has lost none of his aerial prowess. Bailly, Lindelof and Maguire may win in the mobility stakes but the striker still remains as sharp as ever in thought - especially when in the final third.
He has exemplified that this season by plundering 16 goals in 21 goals across all competitions for AC Milan.
United will be praying he doesn't improve on that record on Thursday night.
