Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be available for both games of Paris Saint-Germain’s UEFA Champions League quarterfinal series against his old club Barcelona after UEFA reduced histwo-match ban to one game following an appeal. The Sweden international was dismissed during the first leg of PSG’s Round of 16 series with Valencia, and was forced to sit out the second-leg,which PSG won 3-2 on aggregate.
Ibrahimovic, 31, was shown a straight red card in the dying moments of the first-leg game in Valencia for a challenge in which he appeared to stomp onValencia winger Andres Guardado’s ankle with his cleats showing. However, replays suggested that the former Inter and AC Milan striker did not actually touch the Mexican.
The first-leg of PSG’s quarterfinal series with Barca will be held at the Parc des Princes on April 2nd with the return leg the following Wednesday in Barcelona. Ibrahimovic has scored27 goals in all competitions for PSG this season, including two in the Champions League, since arriving from Milan for close to $26 million last summer.