Rice shines for Arsenal against Champions League holders
Arsenal 3 - 0 Real Madrid
Declan Rice lit up the Emirates with two superb free-kicks as Arsenal cruised to a 3–0 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
Rice had never scored from a free-kick in his career before this match, delivered two moments of brilliance in the second half to put Mikel Arteta’s side in firm control of the tie.
Ahead of kick-off, Arteta had called on the home support to arrive early and generate a big-game atmosphere. The fans responded, and so did the players, as Arsenal made an energetic start and put Madrid under early pressure with a series of threatening crosses.
It wasn’t until the 20th minute that the visitors created anything of note, with Vinícius Júnior curling a shot narrowly wide.
After the break, Arsenal turned their dominance into goals. The breakthrough came in the 58th minute, when Rice bent a free-kick around the wall and beyond Thibaut Courtois to open the scoring. It was a confident and composed finish, but his second strike, just 12 minutes later, was arguably even better — a powerful effort that curled into the top corner and left the Madrid keeper rooted.
READ MORE: Inter take huge step to Champions League semi-finals
READ MORE: Champions League news and stories
With Real Madrid reeling, Arsenal added a third five minutes later. Mikel Merino collected the ball inside the box and placed a precise finish into the bottom corner to all but seal a famous win.
The evening went from bad to worse for Madrid when Eduardo Camavinga was dismissed in stoppage time after receiving a second yellow card, compounding a miserable night for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
Arsenal have not reached the semi-finals of the Champions League since the 2008–09 season, but this result gives them a commanding advantage ahead of the second leg in Madrid.
Arteta's side came into this match as the less-experienced side in European competition, compared with serial winners Madrid. However, they displayed a ruthlessness and quality which Carlo Ancelotti's side could not match.
Bend it like Declan Rice?
Rice had never scored a direct free-kick in his nine-season career, which included 338 games for Arsenal and West Ham and 64 for England. However, he stunned fans by scoring twice from free-kicks in a remarkable 12-minute span during the second half. His goals showcased precision and mastery of the ball's trajectory.
Best reaction
Alexandra told us: "That was an outstanding performance from both the players and the crowd inside the stadium. It is exactly what I had hoped for, although I didn’t quite dare to believe it would happen. We will need to produce the same level again next week because the job is only half done. But for now, I am going to savour this magnificent moment."
Kevin was also impressed with the performance, saying: "Arsenal have always found a way to rise to the big occasions. Real Madrid underestimated the Gunners tonight. Player for player, Arsenal were dominant. I now truly believe we will go on to win the Champions League."
