Sneijder said that he is more optimistic about Paris in the Champions League final, but Arsenal do not easily lose the ball. Two top central defenders have built a very solid defense. The full-backs will be the key to victory. If Arsenal can win Paris 1-0, it will definitely be a remarkable achievement.
Arsenal eliminated Atletico Madrid last week to enter the final. Under the leadership of Mikel Arteta, the team is expected to win the league and Champions League double. At present, they also hold the initiative to win the Premier League.
But their final opponent is the defending champion PSG, which can be described as one of the most threatening powerhouses in European football. Paris showed their strength in the semi-final against Bayern, playing a wonderful attacking football in the first leg and winning 5-4; in the second leg, they withstood the pressure with a solid defense and successfully advanced.
The Ligue 1 powerhouse defeated Inter 5-0 in last year's final, setting a record for the biggest win difference in Champions League final history.
Sneijder, who won the Champions League with Inter in 2010, believes that the performance of the full-backs will be the key to victory in this final. He said that if Jurrien Timber can recover from injury in time, it will be crucial for Arsenal.
The Dutch legend does not rule out the possibility of Arsenal winning with a pragmatic style of play, but he is more optimistic that Paris under Luis Enrique can stage a big win in Budapest.
Sneijder said in an interview:
"If I were to predict the outcome, I would be more optimistic about Paris. However, Arsenal do not easily concede goals, and two top central defenders have built a very solid defense.
I don't think Arsenal's full-backs are up to the top European level, and that's where Paris's advantage lies, especially the left-wing attack is very lethal.
All Arsenal fans hope that Timber can recover from injury in time for the final. Without him, the game will be extremely difficult. But Arsenal also knows how to cover and make up for positions, and Declan Rice can fall back to strengthen the defense.
This final will be very interesting. I think the trend may be similar to last year's final between Inter and Paris, and it may even reproduce a big score, such as five to zero. Before the game, everyone thought that Paris had the advantage, while Inter had a strong defense and sharp counterattacks. At that time, the outside world also speculated that there might be an upset 1-0 win, or a disastrous defeat. Now I have the same view of Arsenal.
It is possible to have a dull 1-0 victory. What I mean by dull is not derogatory. Being able to keep Paris scoreless is a very strong performance in itself, but it is extremely difficult to do.
If Arsenal can really win 1-0, it will definitely be a remarkable achievement. But in my opinion, it is too difficult to face Paris without conceding a goal. So the result is likely to be only two: either Paris wins 3-0 or 4-0, or Arsenal wins 1-0 to win the championship."