Paris Saint-Germain have scored more goals than any other team in the Champions League this season, while Arsenal top the charts for clean sheets.
Jaap Stam has tipped Arsenal to beat Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final. The French giants will hope to defend their European title when they face Mikel Arteta’s side at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary, on Saturday, May 30.
Although PSG are regarded by many as the favourites to lift the prestigious trophy later this month, the Manchester United legend reckons that the Gunners have a ‘very good chance’ of getting their hands on a piece of silverware.
Speaking to ComeOn, Stam has claimed that the Parisians haven’t faced a centre-back partnership as strong as Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba this season. PSG have scored more goals than any other team in the Champions League this season (44), including Arsenal (29).
However, the Gunners have kept far more clean sheets (nine), with Luis Enrique’s side managing five. The 53-year-old, who won Europe’s elite competition with United in 1999, said: “Arsenal have a very good chance to win the Champions League.
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“PSG and Bayern have very good players, individually very, very skilled. As a unit, they are okay, but they also concede a lot of goals. They play their own style of play, which leaves a lot of space for the other team to create and to score goals.
“So, their defending is not always the best. However, when you look at Arsenal, they can play well as a unit in the press. They can be very good and take advantage of that.”
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Stam continued: “Every game is different, especially in the Champions League, when you need to play a semi-final or a final. People always predict for the most successful teams when they look at clubs like Bayern or Paris Saint-Germain.
“But other teams who are very solid, who are very well structured, can have a chance against those teams. I give them (Arsenal) an opportunity, I give them a chance.”
The Dutchman claimed that Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue, and Bradley Barcola haven’t faced a partnership as strong as Gabriel and Saliba this season. Stam said: “Gabriel and William Saliba are not the best centre-back pairing in Premier League history, but I think at the moment they’re very good.
“I think they’re very solid, the two of them together. Both of them have great skill, in terms of pace, physique and at times carrying that ball into midfield, so in playing out from the back, they can do that.
“But the most important thing for them is the two of them working together and not giving away that many opportunities is of course very important for a team because they’re very solid.
“They’re guiding the plays in front of them, even with set pieces of course, especially Gabriel, he’s an asset, he’s very important in scoring goals or to block the other team.
“So at the moment I think they’re probably the best pair of centre backs you could ask for…”
