Ibrahimović nets 500th club goal as Milan beats Crotone 4-0

Zlatan Ibrahimović took his tally to more than 500 club goals as he scored twice to help AC Milan beat Crotone 4-0 and move back top of the Serie A standings on Sunday.

The 39-year-old Ibrahimović is in his second spell at Milan. He has also played for Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and LA Galaxy, among others, in a long and trophy-filled career.

"It means I've scored some goals in my career, but what's important is to continue and help the team in the best way possible," Ibrahimović said. "My job is to score goals and create opportunities to score goals.

Ibrahimović fired Milan ahead in the 30th minute with his 500th club goal and extended that tally in the second half. Ante Rebić scored two goals in less than a minute shortly after.

"Looking at how he (Ibrahimović) prepares himself and how he trains, it's hard to be surprised. He's a champion," Milan coach Stefano Pioli said. "It's difficult to keep doing what he does, when he's fit he almost always scores two goals. That's who he is.

"He has helped and he continues helping the team to grow."

Milan moves two points above second-place Inter, which won 20 at Fiorentina on Friday. The two Milan teams meet in two weeks.

Lazio can move into the top four with a win at home to struggling Cagliari later.

Crotone came into the match rock bottom having lost five of its previous six matches.

Milan thought it had taken an early lead but Davide Calabria's goal was disallowed as Ibrahimović had been offside in the buildup.

It did break the deadlock when Ibrahimović played a one-two with Rafael Leão before placing an angled drive into the far side of the net.

Ibrahimović's 501st club goal was perhaps the easiest he's ever scored as he was left unmarked, six yards out, to tap in Theo Hernández's low cross.

That was in the 64th minute and Crotone then fell apart.

Rebić headed in Hakan Çalhanoğlu's corner in the 69th and then moments later fired in the rebound after Ibrahimović's effort had been parried by Crotone goalkeeper Alex Cordaz.

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Udinese left it late before beating Hellas Verona 2-0 to boost its survival hopes.

It took Udinese until seven minutes from time to take the lead, when Verona goalkeeper Marco Silvestri turned the ball into his own net as he attempted to save Gerard Deulofeu's attempt.

Deulofeu got on the scoresheet himself in stoppage time to seal the result, which saw Udinese move nine points above the relegation zone.

Benevento is a point further back after drawing 1-1 against Sampdoria.