Ibrahimovic’s happy homecoming as PSG thrash Malmo

By Philip O’Connor

MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) – Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic crowned a triumphant homecoming with a second-half goal as Paris St Germain crushed Malmo 5-0 on Wednesday to book a place in the last 16 of the Champions League.

With the 34-year-old Ibrahimovic captaining PSG for the night, Adrien Rabiot netted the first goal after three minutes by heading home Gregory van der Wiel’s pinpoint cross.

Angel Di Maria doubled the advantage when he coolly slotted the ball past Johan Wiland 11 minutes later after Blaise Matuidi had played a searching ball across Malmo’s penalty area.

Ibrahimovic struck five minutes into the second half, surging in from the left before planting the ball beyond Wiland and celebrating modestly with his team mates.

Malmo had a chance to reduce the deficit when Maxwell felled Nicolai Djurdjic but Markus Rosenberg thumped the resulting penalty against the post.

Di Maria netted his second goal midway through the second half with a simple header before being replaced by Lucas who also found the target with an unstoppable free kick in the 82nd minute.

A few minutes later Ibrahimovic left the field to a standing ovation from all sides of the ground.

PSG are second in Group A on 10 points, three behind Real Madrid who beat Shakhtar Donetsk 4-3 in Lviv.

Malmo are bottom on three points, the same total as Shakhtar.

(Editing by Tony Jimenez)