Former France internationals Bafetimbi Gomis and William Gallas are backing PSG to defeat Arsenal and advance into the UEFA Champions League final on Wednesday.
Gallas and Gomis revealed their expectations to Sports Talk United during a novelty legends match organised by Olympique Marseille as part of their 125th anniversary celebration at the Orange Velodrome in Marseille.
Paris Saint-Germain head into the second leg of the Champions League semi-final with a 1-0 lead, thanks to Ousmane Dembele’s early strike at the Emirates Stadium a week ago.
The Parisians and Marseille are sworn enemies in French football, with the latter still the first and only French team to have lifted the elite European title (1993).
Despite the rivalry between the two teams, Marseille legends are focused on the bigger picture and they see a win for the Paris club as a win for French football.
Gallas, a former Arsenal and Marseille centre-back, was initially reluctant to comment on the fixture but he told Sports Talk United: “If Paris win, it would be good for French football.
“I played at OM, but I am Parisian. I have always given myself 100 per cent for the jersey I wore, but I am above all a football enthusiast.”
Wednesday’s game at the Parc des Princes would be third meeting between Arsenal and PSG in this season’s Champions League with scores even between them.
The Gunners clinched a 2-0 win in the league phase of the competition back in October, then Luis Enrique’s side bagged a 1-0 victory in the first leg of the semi-final.
Gomis: PSG win crucial for Ligue 1 rating
Meanwhile, former Lyon, Galatasaray and Marseille striker Gomis believes PSG’s victory against Arsenal and progress to the Champions League final in Munich would consolidate the French Ligue 1’s reputation among Europe’s best.
Gomis told Sports Talk United: “Ligue 1 is a very good league, now we have Paris Saint-Germain making a statement in Europe, maybe they will be champions.
“Their success in the Champions League this season is very important for our league.”
PSG reached the Champions League semi-final last season but were knocked out by Borussia Dortmund (2-0 on aggregate). They will be focused on making it to their second UCL final in five years after losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the 2019-20 season.
