Rice's pair of free kicks lead Arsenal to a 3-0 victory against Real Madrid
Arsenal's midfielder Declan Rice delivered two spectacular free kicks, while Mikel Merino added a striker's finish to secure a 3-0 win against shocked holders Real Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final at The...
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Arsenal's midfielder Declan Rice delivered two spectacular free kicks, while Mikel Merino added a striker's finish to secure a 3-0 win against shocked holders Real Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final at The Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
The Gunners dominated the first half as Real Madrid struggled to find their rhythm. Eduardo Camavinga nearly put the ball in his own net after blocking Antonio Rudiger's clearance, and Thomas Partey failed to capitalize, shooting directly at goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
As the match progressed, Real Madrid, in pursuit of a record-extending 16th title in the competition, began to find their footing and looked to exploit Arsenal's mistakes, though they remained largely disjointed throughout the match.
Courtois emerged as the busier keeper, making a remarkable double save just before halftime, initially denying a powerful header from Rice.
However, there was no stopping Rice's opener, a fierce curling shot around the wall that left Courtois helpless in the 58th minute, marking Rice's first senior goal from a direct free kick.
"It's been in the locker, but I've hit the wall too many times or it's gone over the bar. Originally I was going to cross it and then I've just seen the wall with the goalkeeper's position. I thought... just go for it," Rice commented.
Arsenal nearly doubled their lead soon after, but Courtois was again in fine form, performing a spectacular diving stop from Gabriel Martinelli, followed by another save from Merino, with David Alaba also blocking a shot on the goal line.
Rice's second free kick was even more impressive, curling into the top corner in the 70th minute, leaving the 15-time European champions reeling.
Merino then coolly slotted Myles Lewis-Skelly’s pull-back into the bottom corner 15 minutes from the end, courtesy of a layoff from substitute Leandro Trossard, giving Arsenal a commanding lead to carry into the second leg in Madrid next week.
The victors of this matchup will go on to face either Aston Villa or Paris Saint-Germain, who clash on Wednesday in the semifinals.
In a parallel contest, Inter Milan took a 2-1 victory away from home against a stunned Bayern Munich, with an 88th-minute goal from Davide Frattesi. The timely goal came right after Bayern equalized through substitute Thomas Muller, a veteran leaving the club after 25 years without a new contract.
Inter's captain Lautaro Martinez had initially put his team in front in the 38th minute, driving the ball home from a spectacular backheel assist from Marcus Thuram, after Bayern had previously struck the post with a shot from Harry Kane.
The treble-chasing Italians, who have conceded just three goals in their 11 Champions League games this season, will host Bayern in the return leg on April 16.
"Scoring in the 88th minute like that shows how much we wanted to keep playing our football and using the principles we've been relying on for almost four years now," remarked Inter's coach Simone Inzaghi.
The winners of this quarter-final will face either Borussia Dortmund or Barcelona, who will compete in their first leg on Wednesday.
James del Carmen contributed to this article for TROIB News
The Gunners dominated the first half as Real Madrid struggled to find their rhythm. Eduardo Camavinga nearly put the ball in his own net after blocking Antonio Rudiger's clearance, and Thomas Partey failed to capitalize, shooting directly at goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
As the match progressed, Real Madrid, in pursuit of a record-extending 16th title in the competition, began to find their footing and looked to exploit Arsenal's mistakes, though they remained largely disjointed throughout the match.
Courtois emerged as the busier keeper, making a remarkable double save just before halftime, initially denying a powerful header from Rice.
However, there was no stopping Rice's opener, a fierce curling shot around the wall that left Courtois helpless in the 58th minute, marking Rice's first senior goal from a direct free kick.
"It's been in the locker, but I've hit the wall too many times or it's gone over the bar. Originally I was going to cross it and then I've just seen the wall with the goalkeeper's position. I thought... just go for it," Rice commented.
Arsenal nearly doubled their lead soon after, but Courtois was again in fine form, performing a spectacular diving stop from Gabriel Martinelli, followed by another save from Merino, with David Alaba also blocking a shot on the goal line.
Rice's second free kick was even more impressive, curling into the top corner in the 70th minute, leaving the 15-time European champions reeling.
Merino then coolly slotted Myles Lewis-Skelly’s pull-back into the bottom corner 15 minutes from the end, courtesy of a layoff from substitute Leandro Trossard, giving Arsenal a commanding lead to carry into the second leg in Madrid next week.
The victors of this matchup will go on to face either Aston Villa or Paris Saint-Germain, who clash on Wednesday in the semifinals.
In a parallel contest, Inter Milan took a 2-1 victory away from home against a stunned Bayern Munich, with an 88th-minute goal from Davide Frattesi. The timely goal came right after Bayern equalized through substitute Thomas Muller, a veteran leaving the club after 25 years without a new contract.
Inter's captain Lautaro Martinez had initially put his team in front in the 38th minute, driving the ball home from a spectacular backheel assist from Marcus Thuram, after Bayern had previously struck the post with a shot from Harry Kane.
The treble-chasing Italians, who have conceded just three goals in their 11 Champions League games this season, will host Bayern in the return leg on April 16.
"Scoring in the 88th minute like that shows how much we wanted to keep playing our football and using the principles we've been relying on for almost four years now," remarked Inter's coach Simone Inzaghi.
The winners of this quarter-final will face either Borussia Dortmund or Barcelona, who will compete in their first leg on Wednesday.
James del Carmen contributed to this article for TROIB News
