2008 Champions League winner Rio Ferdinand has predicted this year’s finalists between Chelsea, Real Madrid, PSG, and Manchester City.
Rio Ferdinand expects an all-English Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City.
The former Manchester United defender, who won the competition once in 2007/08, initially believed Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain would make the final. However, he’s changed his mind since.
Manchester City defeated PSG 2-1 in their first-leg semi-final tie in France and now hope to finish the job at the Etihad on Tuesday.
The way Chelsea troubled Real Madrid at a high pace in last week’s 1-1 first-leg semi-final draw in Spain, meanwhile, impressed Ferdinand ahead of Wednesday’s return fixture at Stamford Bridge.
A high voltage week. ⚡️⚡️⚡️
Name one player from each game who will be the energy behind their team reaching the final. 👇#UCL | #GazpromEnergyStats | @GazpromFootball pic.twitter.com/5fv58HTKuD
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 4, 2021
Asked on his ‘Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE’ YouTube channel if Chelsea will progress, he replied: “Yeah, I think they will.
“I think it will be a Chelsea vs. Manchester City final.
“I thought it would be a Real Madrid vs. PSG final, but not anymore.”
On Chelsea’s first-leg draw last week, Ferdinand said: “After watching Real Madrid play and navigate their way through against Liverpool, I thought the experience was going to be telling for Real Madrid.
“But Chelsea, the way they play at high pace, Real Madrid can’t live with it.
“If they play at a high pace, the whole game again and go for it again, I think they overrun this Real Madrid team.”
Should Ferdinand’s prediction be correct, it will be the second all-English final in three seasons.
The last one came in 2018/19 when Liverpool defeated Tottenham 2-0 at Atletico Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano in Spain.
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