Aaron Ramsdale picks out ‘crucial battle’ in Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final with PSG

Aaron Ramsdale has backed Arsenal to win the Champions League and believes Bukayo Saka’s tussle with PSG star Nuno Mendes will be ‘crucial’ in the semi-finals.

Arsenal stormed into the last four of Europe’s premier competition with an emphatic 5-1 victory on aggregate over the holders and 15-time winners Real Madrid.

Declan Rice put the Gunners in the driving seat with two breathtaking free-kicks against Los Blancos, before Mikel Merino joined the party with a sublime first-time effort to make it 3-0 in a one-sided first leg at the Emirates.

Arsenal picked up where they left off at the Bernabeu, with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli netting either side of of Vinicius Junior’s solitary strike, to set up what promises to be an intriguing two-legged battle with PSG.

Mikel Arteta’s men know what it takes to get the better of PSG having defeated the French champions 2-0 in the league phase of this year’s tournament back in October.

Kai Havertz and Saka scored that night in north London and Arteta will be hoping for more of the same from his players back at their home stadium next Tuesday.

Asked to rate Arsenal’s chances of winning the competition, ex-Arsenal goalkeeper Ramsdale replied: ‘Huge.

‘I think every Arsenal fan and the players definitely backed themselves against Real Madrid and they showed what they can do against that team.

‘They’ve already beaten PSG so that can give them great confidence.

‘I know two legs can be difficult but they’re still, they’re still pushing and, for me, if they get through, I think they will be the favourites to win it.’

Saka has hit the ground running since returning from hamstring surgery and will have breathed a sigh of relief to find the net after seeing an audacious Panenka attempt in Arsenal’s second-leg victory over Madrid.

Next up, the England winger comes up against PSG speedster Mendes – a player widely considered to be among the finest left-backs in the game.

On Saka’s form going into the semi-final, Ramsdale said: ‘He’s the main man really. They’ve had a lot of injuries to key players, he’s been out for a long time, but he’s still churning out the performances and getting his stats up.

‘I think that will be a crucial battle between Mendes and Bukayo, but I’ve got every faith that Bukayo comes out on top and he’ll be the one to push Arsenal through.’

Ramsdale was not overly surprised to see Rice take over free-kick duties against Madrid given what he had seen the England midfielder produce on the training ground during their time together at Arsenal.

‘I’ve seen him hit the second one before but I’ve never seen him hit the first one,’ the Southampton shot-stopper explained.

‘I would be a little bit critical of the wall but he’s still bent it around a yard outside the post and its come back in.

‘The second one I’ve seen him do, I know he’s got that in him, but do it after the first one, on that stage, it was a special night and I spoke to him after.’

According to Ramsdale, Rice is perfectly placed to take over the reins as England captain whenever the time comes for Harry Kane to relinquish the armband.

‘I think there are many candidates but Declan is one of the leaders,’ Ramsdale continued.

‘He’s played 50, 60 games now, his performances are at such a high level for Arsenal and for England.

‘If you go through the England team, he’s probably one of the first names on the teamsheet in the heart of that midfield.

‘Everything that comes with being the England captain: they way you have to talk, the way you have to face the press… he does that anyway.

‘I would back him to be a great captain after Harry.’

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