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 boost their Champions League hopes.

The 39-year-old Swede was given a straight red card for arguing with referee Fabio Maresca at the Stadio Ennio Tardini when his team were two goals ahead.

Riccardo Gagliolo pulled one back for 19th-placed Parma minutes after Ibrahimovic’s sending off, but Milan held on despite some late scares, with substitute Rafael Leao scoring a third in injury time.

“I spoke to Zlatan and he told me that he absolutely didn’t say anything offensive toward the referee,” Milan coach Stefano Pioli said. “He had a discussion but without lacking respect. I haven’t spoken to Maresca and I don’t know his version. The last thing Ibra said was so you’re not interested in what I’m saying. It’s obvious that the match changed after his sending off but my team managed to fill the gap with a lot of will and determination.”

Second-placed Milan provisionally closed the gap to leaders Inter to eight points. Pioli’s Milan are pushing for a return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2013-2014 season.

Parma remain in trouble down in 19th in the standings, four points from the safety zone.

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 Hernandez played a one-two with the Sweden forward and touched it onto Franck Kessie, who drilled into the bottom left corner.

Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma did well to save an Andrea Conti header and Graziano Pelle’s follow-up five minutes into the second half.

Ibrahimovic was sent off shortly after and Parma got back into the match six minutes later. A ball was floated to the back post and Pelle nodded it across to Gagliolo, who managed to prod in from close range.

But as Parma committed bodies forward for a leveller, Milan broke clear in stoppage time, with Diogo Dalot setting up Leao for the substitute’s first goal since early January which sealed the visitors their 13th Serie A away win this season — a club record.

In the battle against relegation, Torino ended their four-match winless run with captain Andrea Belotti converting a penalty after an Tolgay Arslan foul in a 1-0 win over 12th-placed Udinese to move five points clear of the drop zone.

Spezia, in 14th position, struck twice in three-minutes before the final whistle for a 3-2 win to deny basement club Crotone.

Martin Erlic set up Giulio Maggiore to pull Spezia level after 89 minutes with the Croatian defender then nodding in an injury time winner.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2021