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Football

22nd Apr 2018

WATCH: The moment Zlatan Ibrahimović plays precision through ball from above his own head

This level of flexibility is not natural

Reuben Pinder

He’s just showing off now

We’re all aware of Zlatan Ibrahimović’s acrobatic ability. England fans will remember all too well his audacious overhead kick from a metaphorical mile out against England in 2012.

Acrobatics have always been a part of Zlatan’s game. While he stands at 6’4″ tall, and has lost a yard of pace over the years, he has no trouble executing scissor kicks you thought were reserved for FIFA games only. He has a black belt in taekwondo, after all.

It should therefore be no surprise that the Swede is pulling off similar stunts in MLS while playing for LA Galaxy. As he showed on his debut, when he scored a late equaliser from 40 yards and a winning header a few minutes later, he’s far too good for that league and he intends to enjoy his last few years in the game. Fair enough.

In the Galaxy’s fixture against Atlanta United on Sunday, he ensured the crowd were entertained with another brilliant piece of skill. As the ball bounced above his head, rather than waiting for it to come down, the striker lifted his leg above his own head and played a through ball to his teammate while the ball was still high in the air.

This level of flexibility is not human.

LA Galaxy went on to lose the game 2-0, but they still have Zlatan, so…