Zlatan Ibrahimovic: the King of Debuts
Having scored on his debuts in the Champions League, Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A and Ligue 1, Zlatan Ibrahimovic added MLS to that list.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic added Major League Soccer to a long list of competitions he has had an instant impact on with his debut brace for LA Galaxy on Saturday, playing a starring role in an incredible 4-3 win.
Galaxy were 3-0 down to rivals Los Angeles FC just after the break thanks to two efforts from Carlos Vela and a Daniel Steres own goal, though they had pulled one back prior to Ibrahimovic's 71st-minute introduction.
Chris Pontius got Galaxy another shortly after, before Ibrahimovic took over, equalising and announcing himself to MLS with a sensational 40-yard half-volley, catching goalkeeper Tyler Miller off his line.
Ibrahimovic then secured victory for his new side in the first LA derby in stoppage time, heading in Ashley Cole's cross to leave no doubt that the Swede means business in the United States.
But it was by no means the first example of Ibrahimovic quickly making his presence felt, as we examine some of his best debuts below…
Serie A – Brescia 0-3 Juventus, September 2004
Having developed into a real talent at Ajax, Juventus splashed a reported €16million on Ibrahimovic at the start of the 2004-05 season and he quickly picked up where he left off in Netherlands. His debut Serie A goal bore a strong resemblance to his first in the Champions League with Ajax, as he squirmed through two challenges on the left of the penalty area and shot, though this time he had more than a little help from Brescia goalkeeper Luca Castellazzi.
LaLiga – Barcelona 3-0 Sporting Gijon, August 2009
After becoming a force with Juve and then Inter in Serie A, Ibrahimovic's form convinced Barcelona's hierarchy to pay a reported €46m plus Samuel Eto'o for his services. While his one-year stay in Catalonia was complicated by a well-documented fractious relationship with coach Pep Guardiola, Ibrahimovic cannot be accused of not making an impact at the club and wasted no time getting in on the scoring, netting in an easy win over Sporting Gijon on his LaLiga debut, heading in at the back post after a cross took a deflection. He went on to win the treble in his only season at Camp Nou.