Rio Ferdinand makes prediction for Arsenal’s Champions League second leg with Real Madrid | Football

Rio Ferdinand has refused to rule out a stunning 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 at the Emirates last week, with Declan Rice scoring two incredible free-kicks and Mikel Merino adding a third.

The Gunners have failed to reach the last four of Europe’s premier competition since as far back as 2009, when Arsene Wenger’s side were denied a place in the final by Manchester United.

And while Madrid have gained a reputation for stepping up to the plate when it really matters on the biggest stage, the north Londoners are the overwhelming favourites to progress.

Speaking after the first leg, Arteta issued a word of caution to his players, underlining that it was still ‘only half-time’ in the contest and the job was far from complete.

Former Manchester United and England defender Ferdinand echoed Arteta comments on the latest episode of the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, but backed Wednesday’s visitors to advance through.

‘If Madrid score first and there’s around half an hour to play… rah! My bum’s gonna be speaking for you lot [Arsenal]!’ Ferdinand said.

‘I think Arsenal go through, trust me. I do. I think it’s going to be too much. Listen, I think Arsenal will go through. I think they’ve got too much.

‘I think this Madrid team looked a bit disjointed the other day, the balance of the team and the squad hasn’t been right and they’ve been conceding goals left, right and centre.

‘[Bukayo] Saka coming back was the big thing and it changed everything for Arsenal.

‘If Saka is not there, I don’t think they would have won 3-0. But it is that and I think Arsenal are going to go through.’

Though confident over Arsenal’s chances, Ferdinand warned Arteta’s side that their ‘mystic’ opposition had the ability to turn the tie on its head in front of their home crowd in Madrid.

‘I’m backing Arsenal to go through. If my life’s on the line now, I’m going Arsenal to go through, not a problem,’ he added.

‘I’m just saying: that club Real Madrid is a mystic club. If Arsenal go behind it could be a different story.

‘But I still think Arsenal will go through because they’re going to score.’

Ferdinand, a Champions League winner with Manchester United in 2008, is curious about the way in which Arteta will set up his team at the Bernabeu.

‘How is Mikel Arteta going to prepare this team to approach this game? I think that is going to be one of the key factors in this game,’ he continued.

‘Does he go out there and go, “Let’s be defensive, let’s protect, let’s just sit and hold what we’ve got”, or does he go, “You know what? Let’s take it to them because if we score they’ve got to get four! They’ve got to score five to beat us and when have we conceded five?”… that’s what I’d do.

‘I’d go out there and go, “Listen, let’s go, toe to toe!”‘

Ferdinand went on: ‘I’ve witnessed it too many times in the last few Champions League seasons… teams have been 2-0 up, thinking it’s cool, and then all of a sudden, that madness just happens.

‘They’re [Madrid] just sucking the ball into the goal.’

According to Ferdinand, Arteta’s Arsenal are still in the process of ‘proving’ that that they have what it takes to beat the very best on the biggest occasions.

‘I think they’re in the moment of proving they are okay and good in the big occasions,’ he explained.

‘They’ve not won anything to suggest that the big occasions are where they come alive.

‘You only get that kind of stature once you’ve started dominating those big games and winning those trophies and people go, “The big occasion comes, these guys: I standby them”.

‘They’re in the process of proving that right now and they have got over some great hurdles. The 3-0 at home is a great hurdle.

‘But if they go out in the next round, that game is just a DVD. That’s it.’

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