Two of the most prolific goal scorers of their generation will meet for the ninth time in their respective careers. AC Milan host Juventus in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals and that means 38-year-old recent Milan signing (well, re-signing) Zlatan Ibrahimovic and 35-year-old second-year Juve striker Cristiano Ronaldo will face off for the first time since November 2015.
Ahead of this wildly expected Coppa Italia match, we take a look at Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s confrontations.
The Coppa Italia semifinal’s first leg will bring back the exciting confrontation between Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. This is the rivalry we’ve been expecting for a while, ever since the Swedish striker came back to Italy.
AC Milan will visit Juventus on Thursday, we already have full coverage of this expected match. But we need to talk about the two major stars of this game in more detail, they have a long history between the two.
Ronaldo has the upper hand in almost every aspect of their various confrontations, but Zlatan is still a formidable opponent. Even before this game, we believe the Portuguese star has a slight edge over the Rossoneri legend.
That is if Maurizio Sarri decides to use Ronaldo in his starting XI for the match. The Italian manager hinted at a possible rest of his biggest star, but that would take away another great confrontation between these two.
This is the Coppa Italia semifinal’s first leg, a trophy is at stake and Juventus should take it very seriously. Cristiano Ronaldo is part of the call-up list but we won’t know if he will start.
The Ronaldo duel
This matchup itself is not without short-term consequence. Winning the Coppa Italia might represent Milan's best chance to qualify for European competition next year, and the whole point of Juve signing Ronaldo was to win countless trophies. Still, Thursday's battle is more interesting for the big-picture perspective than anything else
Here we look back at the previous meetings between two of world football's most feared finishers.
2009: Inter 0-0 Manchester United, Manchester United 2-0 Inter
Ronaldo got the better of Ibrahimovic and Inter in the last 16 of the Champions League as, after a goalless draw at San Siro in the first leg, the Portugal great headed United's second goal of the return to secure their progression.
2009: Barcelona 1-0 Real Madrid
Ibrahimovic left Inter for Barca at the end of the 2008-09 season, while Ronaldo made a then world-record move to Madrid following United's Champions League final loss to the Blaugrana. CR7 would again be frustrated by Barca as Ibrahimovic wrote his name into Clasico folklore with a superb far-post volley from Dani Alves' perfectly placed right-wing cross.
2010: Real Madrid 2-0 Milan, Milan 2-2 Real Madrid
Though Ibrahimovic lasted only one season at Camp Nou, he renewed acquaintances with Ronaldo in the Champions League group stages. Ronaldo set in motion a victory for Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu with a low free-kick from the edge of the area, but both players were held in check at San Siro in an entertaining draw.
2013: Portugal 1-0 Sweden, Sweden 2-3 Portugal
The second leg of the World Cup qualifying play-off between Sweden and Portugal proved unquestionably the best encounter featuring Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic so far, as they each delivered their best with a place in Brazil on the line.
Ronaldo earned Portugal a 1-0 advantage in the first leg, and looked to have given them complete command of the tie five minutes into the second half in Solna. Ibrahimovic, though, turned the tie around with a headed equaliser followed by a rasping free-kick, only for Ronaldo to have the final say by superbly finishing off a counter and then emphatically converting from Joao Moutinho's throughball.
2015: Paris Saint-Germain 0-0 Real Madrid, Real Madrid 1-0 Paris Saint-Germain
The most recent meetings between the two featured no such fireworks as Madrid and PSG largely cancelled each other out across two Champions League group stage encounters, with Nacho scoring the goal that ultimately proved decisive in Los Blancos topping the group.
Adding to the suspense will be Ibrahimovic’s recent remarks about the Juventus man’s quality.
“Will I find the real Ronaldo in Italy? None of it!” Zlatan told GQ Italia.
“There is only one Ronaldo, the Brazilian one.
“He [Cristiano] is not a natural talent, but the result of his work.”
Ibra added: “Now we know that all those Ballon d’Or trophies weren’t won by Cristiano Ronaldo, but by [Real Madrid president] Florentino Perez.”
Zlatan is all-in for this match
The one who is expecting this game with a lot of excitement is Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Swedish striker loves playing vs Ronaldo. Despite not having a great record against him, he is a sucker for a good challenge.
Cristiano has a record that is very significant and it affects Ibra. The Portuguese star has scored 260 goals for clubs after the age of 30 so far, whereas Zlatan has 251. This is a perfect opportunity to get a little closer to his numbers in a new official game.
Ibrahimovic returned to the elite with the full intention of coming back to the highest level and keep proving himself that he is still one of the best. The most recent Milano Derby wasn’t his best result in recent weeks, but he is still trying to prove himself worthy of this level.
Serie A football has been upgraded since both Zlatan and Ronaldo arrived in Italy during the last two seasons. Matches like the one happening tomorrow should be another opportunity to expose this truth to the world of football.
This is Ronaldo’s chance to keep his treble dreams alive.
Winning this semifinal against AC Milan plays a major role in Cristiano Ronaldo’s aspirations for this new season. Despite his incredible career, the Portuguese star has never been able to win a treble. He did win three consecutive UEFA Champions League trophies in the past. But the honor of winning a legendary treble is something that very few clubs in history have achieved.
In Italian football, only Inter Milan accomplished this back in 2010 under Jose Mourinho. Cristiano Ronaldo has a good chance to complete this feat throughout this season. The Old Lady is looking strong in the domestic league tournament, and defeating AC Milan would take them to the Coppa Italia final.
The only question mark would lie on the UEFA Champions League chances they have. Maurizio Sarri is confident this squad has what it takes to go all the way to the final. But first, Cristiano and his teammates have Zlatan Ibrahimovic to worry about.
Who will win the upcoming Coppa Italia semifinal, Ronaldo’s Juventus or Zlatan’s AC Milan? Please share your opinion in the comment section down below.