Arsenal are all set to take on Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
The Gunners have been fantastic in the competition so far. They finished third in the league phase and have since picked up impressive wins.
Arsenal’s 5-1 battering of Real Madrid has sent a strong message to the rest of Europe, but PSG are a brilliant team themselves and will not be easy to beat.
One of the biggest battles on the pitch will be on Arsenal’s right side, when Bukayo Saka will go one-on-one against Nuno Mendes.
Aaron Ramsdale has had his say on that match-up.
Aaron Ramsdale delivers Bukayo Saka vs Nuno Mendes verdict
Ramsdale saw Bukayo Saka in Arsenal training almost every day for three years.
The Englishman is one of the best players in the world, and his absence for over three months due to injury really hurt Arsenal this season.
Following his return, Saka was fantastic against Real Madrid over two legs, and he will be key once again when PSG come to town for the first leg on Tuesday night.
Saka will come up against Mendes, who many view as one of the best left-backs in the world. He completely locked down Mohamed Salah when PSG played Liverpool, and he will be hoping to do the same against the Arsenal number seven.
Ramsdale knows this will be a ‘crucial battle’ in the two legs, but he has claimed that he has full faith that Saka will emerge victorious over Mendes.
He told the Metro: “He’s the main man, really. They’ve had a lot of injuries to key players; he’s been out for a long time, but he’s still churning out the performances and getting his stats up.
“I think that will be a crucial battle between Mendes and Bukayo, but I’ve got every faith that Bukayo comes out on top and he’ll be the one to push Arsenal through.”
What happened when Bukayo Saka faced Nuno Mendes during Arsenal vs PSG last time?
Mendes has had a terrific season at PSG.
The Portuguese defender had given a tough time to almost every right-winger he has faced. He completely dominated Salah in the two legs against Liverpool.
However, when Mendes faced Saka in October last year, the Arsenal number seven was the one who came out on top.
Saka fancied his chances every time he had the ball and came up against Mendes. He dribbled past him twice and tormented him throughout.
The two legs in the Champions League semi-finals will be a new game. There’s no guarantee that what happened in October will repeat again, and Mendes will surely be looking to get his revenge.
But, the fact that he was so comfortable the last time should give Saka a lot of confidence.
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