At this stage, the Puskas Arenaalmost everyone gives the Parisian team as a favorite, for being the current champion and for contributing to this final a group of players that has been working for many years and with great performance, including their Ballon d’Or Ousmane Dembele. But he doesn’t play alone.
In front, there will be a Arsenal which has shown Europe to be a very solid group (nine doors to zero in the 14 games he has played in this competition) and has just won a Premier League which has been a boost in morale and thus banishing the ‘ghost’ of a team with little soul after 22 years without winning the English League.
‘LE’ VERSUS ‘MA’
The duel between Luis Enrique and Mikel Artetathe two symbols of their respective teams, seem to be one of the keys to the match in a context of enormous equality and in which tactical details can make the difference. The Asturian coach looks for his third title of Champions, after the one he achieved with the Barcelona in 2015 and the one he achieved last year with his French team.
On the other hand, Mikel seeks first Champions League in the history of Arsenala club that, despite being the most followed, in terms of number of followers, in the English capital, had only reached one decisive stage before this final; the Champions 2005-06 lost for Wenger against Barcelona.
The stands of Puskas Arena will have to 17,500 spectators for each of the teams, although those are the official sales figures through UEFA. We will see who dominates the neutral sector of the stadium, and the English press is already announcing that there will be more than 5,000 fans of Arsenal landed in Budapest no ticket for the game.
The SPANISH FAN
From the point of view of the Spanish fan, and apart from the coaches of both teams, he may barely play as a starter at Arsenal David Rayagiven that Mikel Merino just came out of an injury, Martin Zubimendi He has had four practically consecutive substitutions and Mosquera He is also a regular substitute. They are not expected in Mikel Arteta’s eleven.
On the part of Luis Enriquemore of the same. If all the predictions come true, the Parisian team will only have Fabian Ruiz as a Spaniard, since the newcomer Dro Fernández is not yet up to these tasks and Achraf Hakimiborn in Madrid, is Moroccan for all intents and purposes.
In Budapestthe city that will host this final, everyone talks about the defensive reliability of the Arsenalalready reviewed, and the attacking power of a Parisian team that, if it starts running with spaces, seems like a torrent of talent unattainable for any defense.
However, the hope of the many fans of the Arsenal that have been arriving since yesterday Hungary It is the defensive system that has been able to weave Arteta since his rivals put him in difficulties and he had to find solutions.
This is what he said to BRAND in the exclusive interview that we published this week: “My job is to innovate so, if it is not enough, to seek to win in a different way than the way we have been playing.”
MIKEL’S RENEWAL
Such is the ‘boom’ with the Basque coach that the Arsenal considers “normal” the rumors that come from Spain and that they relate their coach to the candidate Enrique Riquelme as (possible) technical future of real Madrid. They are very calm, because the Gunners’ directors have been working for months on the idea of renewing Mikel (MA), ideologist of this Arsenal project, champion and finalist of the Champions.
The club plans a generous renewal for MA, whose contract expires in June 2027. Stanley Kroenkemajority owner of the club, and its directors (with the Italian sports director Andrea Berta), they do not want the Spanish coach to begin his last season of the current contract without already being renewed with a new contract that, it is estimated, will be no less than three years.
In fact, last weekend, in statements to NBC Sports, Josh Kroenkeco-owner of the club and son of Stan, majority shareholder of the Arsenalwas clear about it: “Keep Mikel It is an absolute priority, and the good news for Arsenal fans is that he is enjoying the project, being here. He is an Arsenal man through and through. If there is anyone to give 100% of the credit for this team, it is Mikel and his players,” said Josh Kroenke, co-president of the club along with his father Stan.
Anyway, whether he renews or not, what is clear is that today’s final will be historic for him… or for the double champion Luis Enrique.
