It’s not often Jose Fonte does battle with a player three years his senior.
But,with Lille celebrating a famous 3-0 win at AC Milan in Thursday’s Europa League clash, the 36-year-old centre-back can give himself a well-deserved pat on the back.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic may be 11 months away from his 40th birthday but the Swedish superstar remains as dominant and lethal as ever.
The penalty box is his domain and any centre-half who dares to enter usually suffers an ignominious fate.
Before Fonte stepped foot on the San Siro turf, Ibra had scored seven goals in eight games this season.
But the fact he didn’t come close to adding to that tally owed everything to a supreme defensive display from another footballing veteran who continues to age like a bottle of vintage, Iberian port.
It’s easy to forget that as recently as February 2018 the curtains appeared to be closing on Fonte’s time on the European stage.
The Southampton legend struggled badly at West Ham and, after just 24 Premier League appearances for the Londoners, appeared to announce his retirement from top-level football with a £5 million move to China.
Few would have expected Fonte to be soaking up the sun during a glorious Indian summer at Lille, who shattered AC Milan’s unbeaten start to the season in stunning style.
Here’s what some fans on Twitter thought of Fonte’s performance:
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
