Zlatan Ibrahimović needs two goals today to overtake Lionel Messi as the top scorer in European football’s top leagues in 2016.
His Manchester United side are up against Middlesbrough, and the Swede thought he had drawn level with his former Barcelona teammate when he prodded the ball into the Boro net in the first half.
However, referee Lee Mason intervened, disallowing the strike and keeping the scores level at 0-0 going into the break.
Zlatan’s foot was high, but there was some debate over whether his actions constituted dangerous play.
There is no doubt that his boot was nowhere near head height by the time goalkeeper Victor Valdés was in shot, and that is a point being made by a lot of people.
Perfectly fine Ibrahimovic goal ruled out by Lee Mason – very odd. If its for dangerous play, looked wrong decision…
— jamie jackson (@JamieJackson___) December 31, 2016
Absolutely appalling decision by Lee Mason in ruling out Ibrahimovic's clever finish.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) December 31, 2016
That is another awful decision against #mufc this season. Risible refereeing from Lee Mason.
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) December 31, 2016
And it didn’t take long for more theories to emerge about Mason’s decision-making.
Man Utd fans can moan all they like, but for all Lee Mason knew Zlatan could've had a gun.
— TBN Sport (@TBNSport) December 31, 2016
https://twitter.com/tomEurosport/status/815223307360489473
Are volleys now considered dangerous play? Are footballs sentient now?
— Darren Richman (@darrenrichman) December 31, 2016
Of course it didn’t escape people’s attention that Valdés, the villain of the piece, had a score to settle with United.
After being frozen out by Louis van Gaal and allowed to leave after a season on the sidelines, was this the Spaniard’s revenge?
https://twitter.com/A_W_Gordon/status/815221061235179520
Valdes the villain for his part in Ibra's disallowed goal. All those glorious years as United's number one now forgotten
— Craig (@CraigEnglish92) December 31, 2016
