Declan Rice produced a sensational performance as he scored two magnificent free kicks in just 12 minutes, leading Arsenal to a dominant 3-0 victory over Real Madrid. The goals, which marked the first direct free-kick goals of Rice’s career, stunned the Spanish giants and helped the Gunners move a step closer to a Champions League semi-final spot.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had urged the home crowd to arrive early and create an electric atmosphere, and the fans certainly delivered. From the outset, Arsenal were the superior side, controlling the match and showing their intent to make a mark. In the 58th minute, Rice opened the scoring with a brilliantly struck free-kick. Positioned just outside the box, Rice expertly bent the ball around the Real Madrid wall and into the bottom corner, beyond the reach of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Just 12 minutes later, Rice doubled his tally with another spectacular free-kick. This time, the midfielder hit a long-range shot that curled into the top-right corner, leaving Courtois rooted to the spot and sending the Arsenal fans into raptures. Real Madrid, reeling from Rice’s brilliance, were further punished when Mikel Merino added a third for Arsenal just five minutes later, curling a shot into the bottom corner from inside the penalty area.
As if the night couldn’t get worse for the Spanish side, midfielder Eduardo Camavinga was shown a second yellow card in stoppage time, reducing Madrid to 10 men. The red card added to the frustration of a night to forget for the 14-time European champions.
With this resounding win, Arsenal have given themselves a great opportunity to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League, a stage they have not reached since the 2008-09 season. The Gunners’ impressive performance has put them firmly in the driver’s seat for the upcoming second leg, with momentum on their side.
