Declan Rice marks two goals of free and Mikel Merino won the first time when Arsenal amazed Real Madrid with a 3-0 victory in the Emirates in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
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Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, the two fantastic free kicks and a Mikel Merino striker won a 3-0 victory against Real Madrid’s shocked holders in the first leg of their quarter-final of the Champions League at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
The hosts had the best of the first half when the real one started slowly, Eduardo Camavong granting almost a own calamitite goal when he blocked the authorization of Antonio Rudiger before Thomas Partery drew on goalkeeper Thibault Courtois.
Real, bidding for a 16th record title of the competition, became the competition and threatened the break, although their few opportunities come from arsenal errors and visitors seemed disjointed throughout the competition.
Courtois was by far the more busy goalkeeper and produced an astonishing double backup, the first of a powerful rice head, at halftime.
However, there was no Rice-stop opening, a fierce curling drew around the wall and beyond courteous in the 58th minute for his first senior goal of a direct free kick.
“It was in the locker, but I struck the wall too many times where it passed over the bar. Originally, I was going to cross it and then I just saw the wall with the position of the goalkeeper. I thought … Go for that,” said Rice.
Two special rice kicks 😍
LAUTARO GOLAZO 😮💨
Mérino finish for the first time 🎯@Heineken | #Uclgotd pic.twitter.com/y8ypk7ic1e– UEFA Champions League (@championsleague) April 8, 2025
Arsenal could have been 2-0 shortly after, but for more heroic courteous, who produced a diving stop from Gabriel Martinelli, followed by another by the fortune striker Merino between the goal line of David Alaba.
Rice’s second free kick was even better than the first, curled up directly in the corner greater than the 70th minute, to leave the European champions 15 times amazement.
Merino then coldly pulled the return of Myles Lewis-Skelly in the corner less than 15 minutes of time, after a pass from the replacement Leandro Trossard, to give Arsenal a major lead to take in Madrid next week.
The winners of the tie will face Aston Villa or Paris St Germain, who will meet on Wednesday, in the semi-finals.
‘Brilliant game’
“We had a brilliant game, we had a lot of motivation, which is why we won,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. “We have a match next week in Bernabeu, we must demonstrate that we can do it again next week.”
The real one will have to try to revise Arsenal’s advance without camera, which has been shown a second yellow card in the last seconds for having returned the ball.
Visitors had a few half-herself, especially through Kylian Mbappe, who drew up his shot at the end of a quick break with the 0-0 score first half.
But the real ones were not convincing in attack and now conceded 11 goals in their last four games in all competitions, while Arsenal did not lose European equality by scoring three goals in the first stage.
The unused substitute Lucas Vazquez conceded that Real was far from their best, but nevertheless, given the European pedigree of his team, warned Arsenal that his team was far from over.
“Equality is complicated, but if there is a team in the world that can reverse it, it is us, in our stadium and with our fans,” he told Movistar Plus.
Real hopes to take the heart of the 1975-76 European Cup when they lost 4-1 against the Derby County in the first round match, but won the 5-1 return to home.
