After the Serie A leaders lost their last-16 tie 1-0 on aggregate to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, Italian media grappled with the mystery of his Jekyll and Hyde performances, with state TV channel Rai marking him four-and-a-half out of 10.
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Leading newspaper Corriere della Sera described him as "gone missing" after a largely anonymous showing at White Hart Lane as the Swede continued his track record of under-performance having scored just three goals in 22 Champions League knockout matches.
"I'm happy with my contribution," said Ibrahimovic, neatly sidestepping the post-match question. "Everyone played well and we tried everything but the ball just wouldn't go in."
Despite his satisfaction, the fact was that after an early free kick was pushed aside by Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, Milan's number 11 was then largely outmuscled by the Londoners' defence on Wednesday.
At one point in the second half when a move broke down, he betrayed his frustration by joining his hands, looking skywards and shouting the words "per favore" (please).
"We just needed the goal but it's not always the best teams that win matches," Ibrahimovic told Italian television.
"In two games, Tottenham had just one shot on target. The good thing was we gave a good account of ourselves and we can now go for the title and Coppa Italia."
Despite being Italy's most successful club in Europe with seven crowns, Milan have dropped several hints this season they are focusing on winning the scudetto.
