Declan Rice’s two amazing freekicks give Arsenal the lead over Real Madrid at the Emirates stadium
Declan Rice scored two stunning free-kicks as Arsenal put one foot in the Champions League semi-finals with a memorable 3-0 win over Real Madrid, who finished with 10 men after Eduardo Camavinga’s late red card.
Rice found the top-right corner from two dead balls in the second half as Mikel Arteta’s team dismantled the shell-shocked holders in Tuesday’s quarter-final first leg.
Mikel Merino added a deserved third for Arsenal with 15 minutes to play, and Madrid’s miserable outing was capped by Camavinga receiving a second yellow card for kicking the ball away deep into stoppage time.
While Carlo Ancelotti’s team have become famed for their European fightbacks, they will need their best escape act yet to have any chance of retaining their crown.
Despite a fast Arsenal start, Madrid threatened on the break as Vinicius Junior curled narrowly wide and Kylian Mbappe just failed to bend his finish beyond the onrushing David Raya.
The hosts looked the more assured side, though, particularly through Bukayo Saka following his return to the line-up. Rice was inches away from turning his cross home, then Madrid were indebted to Thibaut Courtois for keeping them level on the stroke of half-time.
Courtois got down to his right to keep Rice’s bullet header out, then Gabriel Martinelli could only lash straight at the goalkeeper from the rebound.
But Arsenal’s breakthrough came 13 minutes into the second half, as Rice bent a spectacular dead-ball effort around the Madrid wall and in from close to 30 yards out.
They somehow failed to make it 2-0 when Courtois saved from both Martinelli and Merino, while David Alaba and Jude Bellingham were forced into desperate goal-line clearances.
If Rice’s first goal was impressive, his second was sensational. From another free-kick, slightly closer to goal and to the left of the D, he whipped an unstoppable shot into the top-right corner.
Rice also played a key role in Arsenal’s third goal five minutes later. He carried the ball to the corner of the box, and after Leandro Trossard fed Myles Lewis-Skelly on the left, the teenager’s cutback was swept home by Merino.
Madrid never came close to reducing the deficit late on, and they will be without Camavinga for the second leg after he inexplicably kicked the ball away following a late foul.
ALSO READ: Arne Slot offers support to Mo Salah amidst form drop
Follow AyeyiBruce for more news
