Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has predicted that Paris Saint-Germain will once again defeat Arsenal in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final clash next Wednesday.
The return fixture, set for May 7 at the Parc des Princes in Paris, will determine who advances to the final in Munich. PSG take a slender 1-0 lead into the match, courtesy of Ousmane Dembélé’s early goal at the Emirates Stadium in the first leg.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand named the French side as favourites to progress, citing Arsenal’s lack of a natural centre-forward as a tactical disadvantage.
“My biggest concern with Arsenal is that without a centre-forward, this Paris Saint-Germain team can go man-to-man, one-v-one at the back and be fairly comfortable,” Ferdinand explained. “That allows them to push more players forward and outnumber Arsenal in key areas, suffocating their attack and keeping them pinned back.”
Should PSG succeed, it would mark their first Champions League final appearance since 2020. The Parisian club has long sought to clinch Europe’s most coveted trophy and will be hoping to capitalise on their first-leg advantage at home.
