Ibrahimovic praised by Pioli

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has made a decisive impact at Milan on and off the pitch since joining in January, according to head coach Stefano Pioli. 

Former Sweden international Ibrahimovic has scored eight goals in 18 appearances since returning to the Serie A club on a short-term deal. 

The 38-year-old's arrival has coincided with an upturn in form for Milan in the second half of the campaign, including a run of 11 games without defeat since last month's restart. 

And Pioli has underlined Ibrahimovic's importance to the side, not only in terms of scoring goals but also creating opportunities for others. 

"Ibra has improved us in many ways on the pitch, giving us solutions we didn't previously have," Pioli said at a pre-match news conference on Tuesday. 

"He has an important presence both physically and technically and creates a lot of space for his team-mates. Regarding his personality and character, he was definitely decisive."