Former Newcastle United midfielder Mikel Merino is plying his trade in the Champions League knockout-stages these days with one Real Sociedad team-mate labelling the Spain international a ‘world-class’ player.
Wednesday’s last-16 clash at the Parc des Princes did a pretty good job of highlighting both the good and the bad of Imanol Alguacil’s side.
La Real carved open the PSG backline on a number of occasions. But, when it came to sticking the ball in the back of the net, the visitors proved themselves to be about as blunt as a butter knife going up against the razor-sharp katana that is Kylian Mbappe.
Real Sociedad failed to find the target for the fifth successive game in all competitions, a run which looks destined to end their Champions League run while damaging their hopes of qualifying for Europe at all in 2024/25.
Former Newcastle United man Mikel Merino shining in Spain
Kieran Tierney, on loan at Anoeta from Arsenal, insists that La Real have a number of genuinely ‘world-class’ players at their disposal, including the one-time Newcastle United youngster Mikel Merino.
It’s telling, however, that none of the players Tierney places in the elite bracket are centre-forwards, Andre Silva, Carlos Fernandez and Umar Sadiq frequently squandering the opportunities created by Merino, Brais Mendez and the electrifying Takefusa Kubo.
“I was up against Take Kubo in the first couple of weeks training, so to see how sharp he is struck me,” Tierney tells The Guardian, Sociedad’s lively Japan international their stand-out performer in that 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
“You have world-class players like (Martin) Zubimendi, Merino, Brais. It’s not that people don’t think they’re good.
“It’s just that if you’re only watching the Premier League every week, it’s hard to know (how good these players are). They’re world-class.”
‘World-class’
Merino famously spent just one season at St James’ Park, playing 25 times under Rafael Benitez before the La Liga outfit triggered the £10 million release clause in his Newcastle release clause.
Now 27, Merino has accumulated nearly 20 caps for Spain since leaving Tyneside. He was also included in La Liga’s Team of the Year for 2022/23.
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