Declan Rice makes Champions League history with two special free kicks as Arsenal beats Real Madrid in quarterfinal first leg
It was a night and a result that Arsenal fans would have scarcely believed was possible.
In front of its adoring crowd, the North London club took a huge step towards the Champions League semifinal by beating Spanish juggernaut Real Madrid 3-0 in its quarterfinal first-leg.
But amid the frenzied scenes inside the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, the story of the night belonged to one man; Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice.
The England international scored two stunning free kicks in the second half to put his side firmly in control of the tie.
The first of Rice’s heroic efforts came in the 58th minute, with the 26-year-old breaking the deadlock with a shot that whipped around the Real Madrid wall into the corner of the net.
The stadium erupted as Arsenal’s players celebrated the astonishing goal, only for lightning to strike twice just 12 minutes later.
Rice scoring the first of his two free kicks in the Champions League quarterfinal first leg. Dylan Martinez/Reuters
With home fans still wide-eyed with excitement, Arsenal got another free kick on the other side of the box. Up stepped Rice again to produce arguably an even better strike than before.
This time he opted not to go over the wall, instead firing his effort into the top corner of the goalkeeper’s side. In truth, there was nothing Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois could do with either freekick and Rice could barely believe what he just produced on the biggest stage.
According to Opta, Rice became the first player to score two direct free kicks in a Champions League knockout stage match.
“It’s been in the locker, but I’ve hit the wall too many times or it’s gone over the bar,” Rice told Amazon Prime after the match.
“Originally we were going to cross it and then I’ve just seen the wall and the goalkeeper’s position. So I thought just go for it.
“The second one I had the confidence. I hit it. It’s not going to hit me now because there’s another leg to go.
“I’m excited, I’m happy, I’m over the moon. But in a few years time, this will really hit me that what I’ve done tonight was really special.”
Rice scores the second of his two free kicks on a memorable night for Arsenal. Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Madrid, which had looked nervous from the first whistle of the game, could do nothing to respond and found itself another goal down after Mikel Merino completed the rout after finishing off a flowing Arsenal move in the 75th minute.
To make matters worse, Madrid then saw midfielder Eduardo Camavinga sent off in the dying moments after he picked up a second yellow for kicking the ball away out of frustration.
For Arsenal, though, it was already in wonderland.
Memorable night
Before the match, even the most faithful Arsenal fan would have been nervous for the game against a Champions League specialist.
No team has won more Champions League trophies than Real Madrid (15) and its recent dominance has been such that the Spanish club has won five of the last 10 editions of the tournament.
Compare that to Arsenal which has never won the title, coming closest when runner up to Barcelona in 2006.
But there was a sense of hope, rather than expectation, among the home support as the players walked out on a crystal clear spring evening in North London.
Soccer Football – Champions League – Atletico Madrid v RB Leipzig – Civitas Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain – September 19, 2024 Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann reacts. Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters
They were conditions perfect for a soccer match of this magnitude and the fans created a spine tingling atmosphere fitting for the occasion.
But, for once, Real Madrid and all its superstars seemingly struggled from the offset.
Arsenal settled far quicker than its visitor which only showed flashes of its brilliance in the first half – Kylian Mbappé twice failing to convert when through on goal.
The likes of Mbappé and Vinícius Jr. were then largely kept quiet on a night where it was Madrid’s turn to crumble.
For the host, though, the return of star player Bukayo Saka was very-much needed with the fans getting off their seats anytime the attacker got on the ball. The winger, who had been out with injury since December, provided several dangerous crosses for his side as Arsenal continued to pile on the pressure.
With the game on a knife’s edge, Saka was then bundled over which set up Rice to score the first of his remarkable efforts.
Amid all the excitement at full time, it was initally easy to forget that the job is only half done. Arsenal will travel to Madrid for the second leg on April 16 where it will hope to deny Madrid from what would be one of the greatest comebacks in soccer history.
“Beautiful. So happy so proud of the team,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told Amazon Prime after the match. “We have the opportunity to make a lot of people proud and we certainly have done that. I’ve never seen the stadium like this.
“It’s another step in the right direction as a team. We have to make another one and replicate what we’ve done tonight.”
For now, though, Arsenal fans can celebrate what is one of the most memorable nights in the club’s long history.
Source: edition.cnn.com