Declan Rice delivered a free-kick masterclass on Tuesday, scoring two stunning goals to lead Arsenal to a commanding 3-0 victory over defending champions Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal tie, Al Jazeera reports.
Before the watchful eyes of free-kick legend Roberto Carlos, Rice opened the scoring in the 58th minute with a perfectly executed curler that bent around the Madrid wall and nestled inside the near post, leaving Thibaut Courtois helpless.
The England international then repeated the feat in the 70th minute, this time curling a breathtaking strike into the far top corner, further cementing Arsenal’s dominance.
Mikel Merino added a third goal just five minutes later, putting Arsenal in a strong position to reach the Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2009.
This was the first meeting between the two sides since 2006, when Arsenal eliminated Real Madrid in the round of 16.
Despite a spirited effort, Real Madrid struggled to break down Arsenal’s defense, with French forward Kylian Mbappe denied twice by impressive saves from Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.
The second leg will be played on April 16 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, where Real will face a daunting task to overturn the three-goal deficit.
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