Rio Ferdinand has refused to rule out a surprising Real Madrid fightback against Arsenal – but predicts Mikel Arteta’s men will come through the test and reach the Champions League semi-finals.
Arsenal ran out convincing 3-0 winners over the defending European champions on a famous night on the Emirates last week, with Declan Rice scoring two incredible free-kicks and Mikel Merino adding a 3rd.
The Gunners have failed to succeed in the last 4 of Europe’s premier competition since way back to 2009, when Arsene Wenger’s side were denied a spot in the ultimate by Manchester United.
And while Madrid have gained a popularity for stepping as much as the plate when it really matters on the most important stage, the north Londoners are the overwhelming favourites to progress.
Speaking after the primary leg, Arteta issued a word of caution to his players, underlining that it was still ‘only half-time’ in the competition and the job was removed from complete.
Get personalised updates on Arsenal on a regular basis
Get up to seek out news in your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Join to our newsletter after which select your team within the link we’ll send you so we are able to get football news tailored to you.
Former Manchester United and England defender Ferdinand echoed Arteta comments on the most recent episode of the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, but backed Wednesday’s visitors to advance through.
‘If Madrid rating first and there’s around half an hour to play… rah! My bum’s gonna be speaking for you lot [Arsenal]!’ Ferdinand said.
‘I believe Arsenal undergo, trust me. I do. I believe it’s going to be an excessive amount of. Listen, I believe Arsenal will undergo. I believe they’ve got an excessive amount of.
‘I believe this Madrid team looked a bit disjointed the opposite day, the balance of the team and the squad hasn’t been right they usually’ve been conceding goals left, right and centre.
‘[Bukayo] Saka coming back was the large thing and it modified every little thing for Arsenal.
‘If Saka will not be there, I don’t think they’d have won 3-0. However it is that and I believe Arsenal are going to undergo.’
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to an online
browser that
supports HTML5
video
Though confident over Arsenal’s possibilities, Ferdinand warned Arteta’s side that their ‘mystic’ opposition had the flexibility to show the tie on its head in front of their home crowd in Madrid.
‘I’m backing Arsenal to undergo. If my life’s on the road now, I’m going Arsenal to undergo, not an issue,’ he added.
‘I’m just saying: that club Real Madrid is a mystic club. If Arsenal go behind it might be a distinct story.
‘But I still think Arsenal will undergo because they’re going to attain.’
Ferdinand, a Champions League winner with Manchester United in 2008, is interested by the way in which through which Arteta will arrange his team on the Bernabeu.
‘How is Mikel Arteta going to organize this team to approach this game? I believe that’s going to be considered one of the important thing aspects on this game,’ he continued.
‘Does he go on the market and go, “Let’s be defensive, let’s protect, let’s just sit and hold what we’ve got”, or does he go, “You understand what? Let’s take it to them because if we rating they’ve got to get 4! They’ve got to attain five to beat us and when have we conceded five?”… that’s what I’d do.
‘I’d go on the market and go, “Listen, let’s go, toe to toe!”‘
Ferdinand went on: ‘I’ve witnessed it too repeatedly in the previous few Champions League seasons… teams have been 2-0 up, pondering it’s cool, after which impulsively, that madness just happens.
‘They’re [Madrid] just sucking the ball into the goal.’
In accordance with Ferdinand, Arteta’s Arsenal are still within the means of ‘proving’ that that they’ve what it takes to beat the highest on the most important occasions.
‘I believe they’re within the moment of proving they’re okay and good in the large occasions,’ he explained.
‘They’ve not won anything to suggest that the large occasions are where they arrive alive.
‘You simply get that type of stature when you’ve began dominating those big games and winning those trophies and folks go, “The massive occasion comes, these guys: I standby them”.
‘They’re within the means of proving that at once they usually have gotten over some great hurdles. The three-0 at house is a fantastic hurdle.
‘But in the event that they exit in the following round, that game is only a DVD. That’s it.’
Which club will advance to the semi-finals?
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the most recent news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MORE: Rio Ferdinand says he’d be ’embarrassed to indicate his face’ if he were Man Utd star
MORE: Jude Bellingham and Antonio Rudiger in training bust-up ahead of Real Madrid v Arsenal
MORE: Alan Shearer names ‘favourite’ to win Champions League ahead of Arsenal
