Newcastle United midfielder Mikel Merino delivered a performance Xabi Alonso would have been proud of for Spain’s Under-21s.
In a storied career that included spells at Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, Xabi Alonso won two Champions League titles, three Bundesligas, two Copas del Rey, the FA Cup, a La Liga title, a DFB Pokal and one UEFA Super Cup.
And that is without mentioning the integral part he played in arguably the most dominant international side in footballing history, lifting the European Championship crown twice either side of the 2010 World Cup.
Therefore, some would say that Rafael Benitez did Mikel Merino no favours when he compared the Newcastle United play-maker to a supreme footballing talent he brought to Liverpool from Real Sociedad in 2004.
“There are similarities,” Benitez told The Chronicle when asked to compare Merino with Alonso. “I will tell you, though it maybe sounds stupid, that they are both Basque – from the Basque country.
“They are similar because of the position they are in and the way they read the game. Alonso’s long passing was better but Merino is more mobile and more dynamic.”
‘More dynamic than Xabi Alonso’
Yet, if Merino was feeling the weight of such lofty comparisons, he did not show it in a superb performance as Spain’s under-21’s cruised past Italy 3-0 on Friday night.
The 21-year-old, who joined Newcastle on loan from Borussia Dortmund this summer, pulled the strings with consummate class, capping the Man of the Match performance with a defence splitting assist and a coolly taken goal reminiscent of a certain former Reds favourite in his pomp.
Merino has a long way to go before he can match one of the finest midfielders of his generation but, watching him dominate from the engine room, dictate play and make a telling contribution in the final third, it was difficult not to be reminded of one Xabi Alonso.
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