Saint Lunin: "I'm going to print this icon and hang it at home!"

Sunday morning began with concern for Real Madrid supporters following news that Thibaut Courtois, struck down by severe flu, would miss the clash against Barcelona at Camp Nou.

The night, however, ended in celebration after a 2-1 victory and a standout performance from Andriy Lunin. Stepping into the starting lineup in the Belgian's absence, the Ukrainian shot-stopper did not waver, producing a crucial save from a Gerard Martín header to deny Barcelona a comeback before Mbappé sealed the win late on.

At the final whistle, Lunin received a warm embrace from José Mourinho, who made a point of making the Ukrainian goalkeeper the first player he congratulated. He also heaped praise on him during the post-match press conference.

On social media, Merengue fans made a meme go viral depicting Lunin as a saint, styled in the imagery of Eastern Orthodox religious icons.

While the image is not new, even Anastasiia Tomazova, the Real Madrid goalkeeper's wife, joined in on the fun. "I'm going to print this icon and hang it at home!" she wrote in an Instagram story alongside the image. And given the influencer's quirky track record—having recently offered a lengthy explanation for getting married in a tracksuit in 2021—she might just follow through.