Rio Ferdinand changes Champions League final prediction ahead of PSG vs Arsenal
Rio Ferdinand previewing the Champions League semi-final second legs (Picture: YouTube) Rio Ferdinand has changed his Champions League final prediction as Arsenal, PSG, Barcelona and Inter Milan prepare for the decisive semi-final second legs. Arsenal eliminated Champions League holders Real Madrid in the quarter-finals but will need to overturn a one-goal deficit in Paris to reach the final. PSG knocked out Premier League champions Liverpool on route to the semis and beat Arsenal 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium to put one foot in the final. In the other semi-final tie, Barcelona twice came from behind to draw 3-3 with Inter Milan in a European classic. Barca, sitting top of La Liga and having won the Copa del Rey at the weekend, visit Serie A title challengers Inter next week with the tie finely poised. Get personalised updates on Arsenal everyday Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. Speaking ahead of the semi-final first legs, Ferdinand tipped PSG to face Inter Milan in the Champions League final, but the Manchester United legend and ex-England defender has now changed his prediction. ‘I’m going to go Barcelona against Paris Saint-Germain,’ he said on his YouTube channel. Barcelona drew 3-3 with Inter Milan in an epic semi-final (Picture: Getty) ‘If there is a team who can go to PSG and win it’s Arsenal. I don’t think it’s about ability at this stage, I think it’s about mentality and belief. ‘In Bukayo Saka they’ve got a matchwinner who can turn the game on its head. There’s positives there but if the mindset isn’t right, they will get smoked, I’m telling you. ‘The problem for Arsenal is PSG are a proper team, I don’t think they’re invincible but they’ve been the best team in the Champions League.’ PSG beat Arsenal 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium (Picture: Getty) Ferdinand believes a Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona semi-final would be the most exciting final and potentially make way for a new era of attacking football. ‘If you’re a football purist, you want the two most attacking and free teams in the final,’ he added. ‘PSG and Barcelona are the two most attacking and free teams in terms of letting their attacking players just go. ‘I think that would make for an unbelievable spectacle and throw us into a different cycle where managers attack more. ‘Luis Enrique and Hansi Flick could be the managers to follow in terms of their philosophy instead of Pep Guardiola who has been great at it in a great era.’ Rio Ferdinand's original Champions League prediction ‘I’m going to go for PSG – Inter Milan final, that’s what I’ll think it will be,’ Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel. ‘And I think PSG will win on the day, just. ‘I would love a Barca – PSG final, that would be my ideal final where you’ve got two front threes who are rolling it back and have got licence to attack people in a systematic, robotic time. ‘I think Inter get to the final but my ideal would be PSG and Barca just for the fact you’ve got to front threes who are allowed and want to take people on, who are exciting. ‘For entertainment purposes, PSG – Barca but part of me would like Arsenal to get there. ‘I wouldn’t mind Arsenal winning it, I’ve got to be honest. I like their players, I love Saka, I love Declan, I love Odegaard, Timber, Lewis-Skelly, Saliba, Gabriel, these are players I like.’ Rio Ferdinand speaking on his YouTube channel Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer, meanwhile, says Arsenal still ‘have a chance’ of getting past PSG and reaching the Champions League final. Ousmane Dembele scored the only goal as the French champions beat Arsenal in the first leg in north London. ‘It was an amazing atmosphere at the Emirates before Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final first leg against PSG but that changed after four minutes with PSG’s goal,’ Shearer told Betfair. ‘When you go to a hostile ground, where you know the atmosphere is going to be amazing for the home team, you want to keep the ball and, if possible, get an early goal just to kill the crowd. PSG did that. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page
Rio Ferdinand has changed his Champions League final prediction as Arsenal, PSG, Barcelona and Inter Milan prepare for the decisive semi-final second legs.
Arsenal eliminated Champions League holders Real Madrid in the quarter-finals but will need to overturn a one-goal deficit in Paris to reach the final.
PSG knocked out Premier League champions Liverpool on route to the semis and beat Arsenal 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium to put one foot in the final.
In the other semi-final tie, Barcelona twice came from behind to draw 3-3 with Inter Milan in a European classic.
Barca, sitting top of La Liga and having won the Copa del Rey at the weekend, visit Serie A title challengers Inter next week with the tie finely poised.
Get personalised updates on Arsenal everyday
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you.
Speaking ahead of the semi-final first legs, Ferdinand tipped PSG to face Inter Milan in the Champions League final, but the Manchester United legend and ex-England defender has now changed his prediction.
‘I’m going to go Barcelona against Paris Saint-Germain,’ he said on his YouTube channel.
‘If there is a team who can go to PSG and win it’s Arsenal. I don’t think it’s about ability at this stage, I think it’s about mentality and belief.
‘In Bukayo Saka they’ve got a matchwinner who can turn the game on its head. There’s positives there but if the mindset isn’t right, they will get smoked, I’m telling you.
‘The problem for Arsenal is PSG are a proper team, I don’t think they’re invincible but they’ve been the best team in the Champions League.’
Ferdinand believes a Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona semi-final would be the most exciting final and potentially make way for a new era of attacking football.
‘If you’re a football purist, you want the two most attacking and free teams in the final,’ he added. ‘PSG and Barcelona are the two most attacking and free teams in terms of letting their attacking players just go.
‘I think that would make for an unbelievable spectacle and throw us into a different cycle where managers attack more.
‘Luis Enrique and Hansi Flick could be the managers to follow in terms of their philosophy instead of Pep Guardiola who has been great at it in a great era.’
Rio Ferdinand's original Champions League prediction
‘I’m going to go for PSG – Inter Milan final, that’s what I’ll think it will be,’ Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel. ‘And I think PSG will win on the day, just.
‘I would love a Barca – PSG final, that would be my ideal final where you’ve got two front threes who are rolling it back and have got licence to attack people in a systematic, robotic time.
‘I think Inter get to the final but my ideal would be PSG and Barca just for the fact you’ve got to front threes who are allowed and want to take people on, who are exciting.
‘For entertainment purposes, PSG – Barca but part of me would like Arsenal to get there.
‘I wouldn’t mind Arsenal winning it, I’ve got to be honest. I like their players, I love Saka, I love Declan, I love Odegaard, Timber, Lewis-Skelly, Saliba, Gabriel, these are players I like.’
Rio Ferdinand speaking on his YouTube channel
Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer, meanwhile, says Arsenal still ‘have a chance’ of getting past PSG and reaching the Champions League final.
Ousmane Dembele scored the only goal as the French champions beat Arsenal in the first leg in north London.
‘It was an amazing atmosphere at the Emirates before Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final first leg against PSG but that changed after four minutes with PSG’s goal,’ Shearer told Betfair.
‘When you go to a hostile ground, where you know the atmosphere is going to be amazing for the home team, you want to keep the ball and, if possible, get an early goal just to kill the crowd. PSG did that.
‘Arsenal never recovered. For the first 20 or 30 minutes, they didn’t know what day it was. Then they recovered and were the better team for ten or 15 minutes before half-time – and they didn’t need half-time.
‘There were two really, really good chances for Arsenal. One in the first-half with Gabriel Martinelli one-on-one and then a one-on-one in the second half involving Leandro Trossard.
‘Other than that, I know they had the disallowed offside goal which took far too long considering he was half a yard offside. The positive was that it only ended 1-0. It could’ve been a lot worse.
‘At 1-0 going into the second leg, Arsenal still have a chance. What was already a difficult opportunity against a very good side has become a little bit more difficult, but it’s not impossible.’
On Arsenal’s approach in the second leg, Shearer added: ‘Arsenal missed Thomas Partey in the first leg against PSG.
‘He’ll be playing next week which means we’ll hopefully see a better Declan Rice because it’s not his best role, sitting and trying to sweep up play as a number six.
‘Rice is better when he’s driving forward and there was one time last night where he was able to drive forward and that was what created the opportunity for Trossard.
‘Arsenal’s pressing has to be better. For the first half-an-hour in the first leg, they didn’t know when to press or sit and it looked really confusing in terms of when and how to go.
‘They didn’t get that right and ended up getting picked off. That can improve massively, but they don’t have to go for it straight away. If it’s still 1-0 at half-time in Paris then that’s fine.
‘Arsenal just have to be a little bit more patient, go with what happens, keep it tight and don’t concede because if they concede the first goal early on then it’ll be pretty much curtains for them.’
Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena will host the 2025 Champions League on May 31.
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