The man for the big moments: ex-BVB flop saves Spain | OneFootball

Almost everything pointed to extra time. For a long stretch in the World Cup round of 16, Portugal and Spain successfully avoided scoring. But then a player struck who had enjoyed only limited success at Borussia Dortmund.

When Mikel Merino, who had just turned 20 at the time, joined BVB in the summer of 2016, the Black and Yellows had high hopes for the young Spaniard. Former Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc (63) described the 1.88-meter central midfielder at his unveiling as a “great talent from the Spanish football school.”

But perhaps Merino’s move abroad came too early. The U19 European champion had left second-division side CA Osasuna at the time for 3.75 million euros. By the end of the 2016/17 season, the Iberian had managed just nine appearances totaling 312 minutes.

Having since progressed to the U21 national team, Merino left BVB and joined Newcastle United—initially on loan, later on a permanent deal. But the Magpies also sold him after just one year. The midfielder’s next destination was Real Sociedad San Sebastián.

Injured for a long time

He took off in the Basque Country and developed into a full international. In August 2024, Arsenal moved for him for 32 million euros. At the Gunners, the former BVB professional is among the key players. However, foot surgery at the beginning of this year kept the now 30-year-old Merino sidelined for months. He only returned to the pitch for half an hour on the final Premier League matchday, helping his club celebrate the title.

Merino is a man for special moments. Germany experienced that at Euro 2024. Shortly before the end of extra time, the Spaniard sealed his country’s 2-1 win in the quarter-final.

Photo: Getty Images

At the World Cup, Merino once again got on the scoresheet in an important match. In a hard-fought game against Portugal, it remained 0-0 deep into stoppage time. Then the former Dortmund player, who had come on just six minutes earlier, struck. The super-sub coolly converted a brilliant pass from Ferran Torres (26) to score the 1-0 winner.

“I guess I like saving my goals for the last minute,” kicker quotes a beaming Merino as saying. “Right now I’m enjoying one of the happiest moments of my career,” he added. Moments that eluded him in Dortmund.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.