Mikel Merino’s goal celebration against Germany was more than meets the eye.
On Friday, the Real Sociedad midfielder came off the bench for Spain to knock in a stunning game-winning header to oust Germany — the 2024 European Championship hosts — in the quarterfinal round, and in celebration of the strike and win, Merino gave a nod to his father, Angel.
He sprinted over to the corner flag, ran around it, and threw his head up to the sky while screaming victoriously as Spain solidified a spot in the semifinals.
Thirty-three years ago, Angel, who was a former La Liga player, did the exact same celebration in MHPArena during the 1991 UEFA Cup.
Against Stuttgart, the elder Merino made it 2-0 during the second round, and his team went on to win the match, 3-2.
“I’m dead. The adrenaline is taking its toll on me. It was a unique moment,” Mikel after the win, per The Sun.
The moment adds to the younger Merino’s already special relationship with the stadium after he made his Spanish national team debut in a 1-1 draw against Germany in 2020.
“It was a goal in the 119th minute, but there is a collective effort behind it. Being tied in the 90th minute is a blow, but we deserved it,” Merino added. “It was the match we were all waiting for, between two of the best in the world. It could be a Euros or World Cup final.
“We know how to suffer, we have a great team. There’s something about this stadium that makes us lucky. My father also scored here and I made my debut.”
