Ibra hailed after four-star display

Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has thanked the Anderlecht fans for their standing ovation following his four-goal demolition of them.

• Johnson: Ibra inspires PSG

The whole stadium rose to salute Ibrahimovic, 32, after the third of his goals in PSG’s 5-0 Champions League win in Brussels.

Following on from his flying back heel against Bastia on Saturday, the Sweden captain completed his hat trick in Belgium in spectacular fashion.

His outrageous first-time strike from distance after 36 minutes rocketed home at 100 kilometres per hour.

Ibrahimovic then produced another excellent finish in the second half. Speaking after the game, he said it was a great honour that the home support acknowledged the quality of his display.

“It’s not every night that I score four goals,” he told reporters. “The stadium applauded me after the third goal and that doesn’t happen every night either.

“I’d like to thank the Anderlecht supporters — it was really nice of them.”

Ibrahimovic became only the ninth player to score four goals in a Champions League match, the last of whom was Robert Lewandowski during Borussia Dortmund’s semifinal win over Real Madrid last season.

Since the start of October the former AC Milan and Barcelona forward has scored 10 goals in five matches for club and country, taking his tally to 15 in 18 appearances overall this season.

He has now netted 46 times in 60 games at PSG, a strike rate that goes some way to justifying his wages of 16 million euros a year.

PSG manager Laurent Blanc said his side had completed the “perfect match” to make it three wins from three in Group C and he was naturally full of praise for his star striker.

“He’s in excellent form,” Blanc said. “His four goals tonight were exceptional.

“He’s a catalyst for all the others, someone who is driving everyone towards the top.”

Ibrahimovic could be brought to down to earth a little on Thursday evening,however.  He is due to explain to the French league’s disciplinary commission why he mimicked pointing a gun at the Toulouse bench during PSG’s 2-0 victory over them last month. 

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