Mikel Merino has been looking forward to getting back to Prague following last season’s 3-0 win there on our way to the UEFA Champions League final.

Bukayo Saka opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the league phase encounter a year ago to the day, before Merino stepped up with a second-half brace to secure the three points.

Reflecting on that match in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, and looking ahead today’s return to the Czech Republic, Merino said: “I remember a very tough game against an opponent that is very physical, that they want to run a lot. They press high and they are very vertical when they have the ball. 

“That season was a very good game for me personally with two goals. Hopefully this year I can score in this one. I'm not going to ask for two! Tomorrow is going to be a super tough game again. We've got massive respect for them as a team and as a club.

“We know we are up for a big challenge, but the good thing is that we are ready and we need to try and do our best.”

One of the subjects Merino was asked about was how much much pride we take in our defending, following Sunday’s 1-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League, in which we allowed no shots on target.

In fact, we’ve only conceded five goals in the topflight all season and just twice in Europe, meaning we have the best defensive record in Europe (although PSV Eindhoven are joint first with us in the Champions League on that front).

“The team has to love it and I think this team is ready to love every aspect of the game, not only defending,” Merino added. “We're talking about defending because most of the team don't like defending. But when you have to do it, you have to be ready to get dirty and to go for a tackle or block a shot. 

“I think in this team we have that culture of being a 10 out of 10 in everything we do. It has to be defending because the context of the game is that you have to defend low block and do the best way you can. That's when big wins like the other day happen and hopefully more will come in the future.

“I think for me personally it comes naturally. I've always loved every aspect of the game and defending has always been a main aspect for me since I was a kid and my father was talking to me about football. For new players or for some other players it can be something cultural that they have to learn and this club is the best place possible for you to learn it.”