Declan Rice scored two sensational free-kicks as Arsenal secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final at The Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
Arsenal dominated the match from the outset, with Real Madrid struggling to find their rhythm. The Gunners nearly took the lead early on when Eduardo Camavinga almost turned Antonio Rudiger’s clearance into his own net, and Thomas Partey’s shot was parried by Thibaut Courtois.
Real Madrid, aiming for a record-extending 16th title in the competition, grew into the game but failed to capitalize on Arsenal’s occasional errors. Courtois kept the visitors in the contest with a string of impressive saves, including a remarkable double stop from a powerful Rice header just before halftime.
However, there was no denying Rice’s brilliance in the second half. In the 58th minute, he curled a fierce free-kick around the wall and beyond Courtois to open the scoring. “It’s been in the locker,” Rice said about his free-kicks. “Originally I was going to cross it, but I saw the goalkeeper’s position and thought, just go for it.”
Rice doubled the lead in the 70th minute with an even more spectacular free-kick, this time finding the top corner and leaving the Real Madrid players stunned. Arsenal’s relentless pressure paid off again when Mikel Merino fired home from Myles Lewis-Skelly’s pull-back 15 minutes from time, sealing a memorable win for the home side.
Arsenal will take a sizeable advantage to Madrid next week, with the winners set to face either Aston Villa or Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals.
In the other quarter-final match, Inter Milan snatched a dramatic 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Davide Frattesi scored an 88th-minute winner after Thomas Müller, who is set to leave Bayern at the end of the season after 25 years with the club, had equalized just minutes earlier. Inter’s Lautaro Martinez had opened the scoring in the first half.
Inter coach Simone Inzaghi praised his team’s determination: “Scoring in the 88th minute like that shows how much we wanted to keep playing our football.” The second leg will be hosted by Inter on April 16, with the winners facing either Borussia Dortmund or Barcelona in the semifinals.
