“I would worry for Arsenal at that point” : Rio Ferdinand believes Bayern start as favorites in the second leg of UCL quarterfinals

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has made a big claim ahead of Arsenal’s second leg clash against Bayern Munich in the UCL quarterfinals. He believes that the German side holds the advantage, despite their poor home in the past couple of months.

Arsenal succumbed to a home defeat against Aston Villa on Sunday, which put a major dent to their title aspirations. Rio Ferdinand believes that the fixture against Bayern Munich is the biggest match of the Gunners’ season, as losing in the Premier League and Champions League in the same week could halt their progress.

The first leg at the Emirates ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw, as Bukayo Saka was denied a last minute penalty. However, Rio Ferdinand believes that Bayern Munich have all the experience it takes to see of Arsenal on home soil on Wednesday night.

“I think it’s advantage Bayern Munich. Bayern are at home and have all that experience in Europe. Arsenal could win but it’s advantage Bayern for me. Can you imagine if [ex-Tottenham captain] Harry Kane knocks them out of Europe? The biggest game of Arsenal’s season is on Wednesday night. If they lose that game, this team will never have been that low under Mikel Arteta,” said Ferdinand.

Rio Ferdinand believes it is a massive opportunity for Arsenal to reach UCL semifinals

Arsenal have failed to reach the semifinals of the Champions League since 2009. Hence, Rio Ferdinand believes that this is a massive opportunity for the Gunners to prove themselves on the European stage.

However, he believes that a defeat would just compound the misery on Mikel Arteta and his players. “To have a week like this, where you were in control, to then lose control in the league and then you’re out of the Champions League… I would worry for Arsenal at that point. But as I said, we have a beautiful opportunity, an opportunity that hasn’t happened at this club for 14 years to get to the semi-finals of the Champions League, so it cannot come in a better moment,” Ferdinand added.

Arsenal faced their first defeat of the season in the Premier League on Sunday, after losing 2-0 to Aston Villa at home. This comes after their spell of 11 unbeaten matches, where they won 10 matches, and drew one game. This run included a home win over Liverpool, and a stalemate with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. With just six games remaining in the season, and impending visits to Old Trafford and Spurs, the Gunners will need to win all their remaining games, and hope that their rivals drop a couple of points.

Also Read: “I forgot already” – Mikel Arteta on Arsenal’s title collapse last season