Rio Ferdinand has tipped Arsenal to beat favourites Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Saturday’s Champions League final in Budapest, pointing to the French side’s vulnerability at set-pieces.
Speaking on his Rio Ferdinand Presents show, the former England defender said PSG were the stronger side overall but that Arsenal held a decisive edge. “I now think that Arsenal are going to win the Champions League,” he said.
Ferdinand called PSG the better footballing team, praising their style and manager Luis Enrique and describing them as the best side in the world to watch.
The difference, he argued, lay in dead-ball situations. Even Bayern Munich, beaten by PSG in the semi-finals, had made the Parisians look uncomfortable at corners and free-kicks, he noted.
He rated Arsenal the Premier League’s best at set-pieces and warned they could cause havoc if they won free-kicks and corners in dangerous areas, exploiting what he sees as PSG’s physical fragility.
PSG, the defending champions, are chasing back-to-back European titles and would become the first French club to retain the trophy. Arsenal, in their first final since 2006 and fresh from a first league title in 22 years, are bidding for a domestic and continental double.
