{"id":908813,"date":"2026-05-28T10:19:04","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T15:19:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/28\/this-is-their-time-ex-super-eagles-star-predicts-winner-of-psg-vs-arsenal-ucl-final\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T10:19:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T15:19:04","slug":"this-is-their-time-ex-super-eagles-star-predicts-winner-of-psg-vs-arsenal-ucl-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/28\/this-is-their-time-ex-super-eagles-star-predicts-winner-of-psg-vs-arsenal-ucl-final\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThis is their time\u201d\u00a0\u2013 Ex-Super Eagles star predicts winner of PSG vs Arsenal UCL final"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Bukayo Saka and Ousmane Dembele. Photo Credit: Soccernet<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Former Super Eagles defender Godwin Okpara has weighed in on the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal\u00a0on\u00a0Saturday,\u00a0Soccernet.ng<\/u><\/a>\u00a0reports.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 2025\u201326 European club season comes to a close this weekend as the champions of England and France go head-to-head for the biggest prize in European\u00a0club\u00a0football.\u00a0<\/p>\n

PSG head into the final as defending champions after thrashing Inter Milan 5\u20130 in last season\u2019s final, while Arsenal are appearing in only their second final in history\u00a0and their first in 20 years, since a 2\u20131 defeat to Barcelona\u00a0in 2006.<\/p>\n

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Gabriel of Arsenal leads a lap of appreciation in their last home game. Photo Credit: ImagoxDavid Klein \/ Sportimage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Soccer Godwin Okpara shares thoughts on PSG vs Arsenal clash<\/h2>\n

Both PSG and Arsenal have enjoyed impressive runs to the final, eliminating several European heavyweights along the way\u00a0to set\u00a0up what promises to be a blockbuster showdown in Budapest.<\/p>\n

Pre-match discussions have been dominated by predictions from around the world, with opinions split on who will lift the trophy. Former PSG and Super Eagles defender Godwin Okpara has now added his voice, backing his former club to dominate Europe once again.<\/p>\n

Okpara believes PSG\u2019s attack is one of their biggest strengths, but insists Luis Enrique has built a well-balanced team that relies heavily on collective effort rather than individual brilliance,\u00a0something he feels gives them an edge over Arsenal.<\/p>\n

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Godwin Okpara in action for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Copyright: imago\/Panorami<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\u201cThere is a lot of quality in this PSG squad, and they do not depend solely on Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9.\u00a0It is an elite team because they no longer play through just one player\u201d,\u00a0the former Nigerian defender said, via Footy-Africa.<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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\u201cLook at their tactical formation. Even Achraf Hakimi operates with the impact of an attacker, but he is fundamentally a defender. D\u00e9sir\u00e9 Dou\u00e9 and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have good understanding and they play as a collective unit, and they win as a team. That is the only way to secure the biggest trophies.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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\u201cIn\u00a0the past, during the era of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 and Neymar, the entire burden of the club was placed strictly on their shoulders. That is exactly why they did not get the results they wanted on the European stage. The PSG team we are seeing now is entirely different. It is built on pure teamwork, not individual egos.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Despite backing PSG, Okpara admitted the final will be far more difficult than last season\u2019s\u00a0dominant\u00a0win over Inter Milan.<\/p>\n

He also praised Arsenal\u2019s defensive strength, as the Gunners have conceded just six times in their run to the final, although he expects the game to be very open with plenty of chances for both sides.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u00a0is going to be an incredibly tough match because both teams are exceptionally strong in their respective areas. I\u00a0am expecting to see plenty of goals in this final\u201d, Okpara added.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Achraf Hakimi and Randal Kolo Muani celebrate winning the UCL trophy with PSG. Copyright: xSpada\/LaPressexImago<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\u201cBut when you look closely at the squads\u2014ranking them position by position from the goalkeeper, through the defence, into midfield, and up to the attack\u2014PSG simply possess more quality players. For that reason, I see them winning it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Soccer Okpara responds to Ligue 1 \u2018Farmers\u2019 league\u2019 criticism<\/h2>\n

PSG have often been\u00a0underrated\u00a0in Europe due to the perceived lack of competitiveness in Ligue 1, with critics frequently labelling it a\u00a0\u201cfarmers\u2019\u00a0league.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Okpara believes that narrative is outdated\u00a0and referred\u00a0to PSG\u2019s consistency in reaching multiple Champions League finals, as well as the final of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in recent years as evidence of the league\u2019s growth.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis is their time.\u00a0Reaching a major global showcase like the FIFA Club World Cup and another Champions League final is a great thing for French football. I have never understood why people try to label Ligue 1 as a\u00a0\u2018farmers\u2019\u00a0league.\u2019\u00a0When I was playing in Belgium, Ligue 1 was the competition that the majority of people actively wanted to watch.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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The PSG players celebrate and dance after their Champions League win over Bayern Munich. Copyright: IMAGO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\u201cThe French league has a long, rich history and has consistently featured some of the game\u2019s greatest global stars. Ultimately, how a league is perceived comes down to sponsorship and how you promote it. England does that marketing job incredibly well, but French football has always been elite. PSG have suffered for a very long time to establish this consistency, and I am happy to see them there\u201d, Okpara concluded.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The UEFA Champions League final will take place on Saturday at the Pusk\u00e1s Arena in Budapest, with PSG aiming to win the trophy for a second consecutive season, while Arsenal chase their first-ever title.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"<!--Ayomide Oguntimehin” src=”https:\/\/soccernet.ng\/thumbor\/ycGEJDr9VZlpO_5zujn3ZdvICxA=\/150×150\/smart\/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.soccernet.ng%2Fmain%2F2024%2F12%2FAyomide-Oguntimehin-pics.jpg” height=”80″ width=”80″>\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tAyomide Oguntimehin\t\t\t\t<\/a>
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\n\t\t\t\tAyomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and Chief Editor at Soccernet.ng. He has interviewed Super Eagles stars like William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Ademola Lookman, and is known for breaking major transfer stories.<\/p>\n

Ayomide has worked with Sports Brief, Naija News and served as Social Lead Editor at Legit.ng. He has also featured on Goal, TVC News, Sports Mole, and Milan News24. He holds a Master\u2019s degree and is currently pursuing a PhD. Follow Ayomide on X (formerly Twitter): @ayo_oguntimehin\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Read More<\/a>Ayomide Oguntimehin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Soccer Bukayo Saka and Ousmane Dembele. Photo Credit: Soccernet Former Super Eagles defender Godwin Okpara has weighed in on the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal\u00a0on\u00a0Saturday,\u00a0Soccernet.ng\u00a0reports. The 2025\u201326 European club season comes to a close this weekend as the champions of England and France go head-to-head for the biggest prize in European\u00a0club\u00a0football.\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":908814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2079,2005,4393],"tags":[5146,5662],"class_list":["post-908813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-this","category-soccer","category-time","tag-this","tag-time"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/908813","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=908813"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/908813\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/908814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=908813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=908813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=908813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}