Arsenal Dominate Real Madrid with Rice's Free Kick Brilliance

Declan Rice showcased his finesse with two superb free kicks, while Mikel Merino added a striker’s touch to seal Arsenal’s commanding 3-0 win over Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

Arsenal controlled the tempo in the opening half as Real Madrid struggled to find their rhythm. A chaotic moment nearly led to an own goal by Eduardo Camavinga when he inadvertently blocked Antonio Rudiger’s clearance, shortly before Thomas Partey’s direct shot was saved by Thibault Courtois.

As the match progressed, Real began to gain momentum and proved threatening on the counter. Yet, it was Courtois who remained undeniably occupied, pulling off an incredible double save just before halftime to maintain the scoreline.

However, Rice’s spectacular opener was unstoppable. In the 58th minute, he unleashed a powerful shot around the wall, tangling past Courtois to net his first senior goal with a direct free kick.

Shortly thereafter, Arsenal nearly doubled their lead, only to have Courtois make a diving save against Gabriel Martinelli followed by another crucial block from Merino, with David Alaba clearing off the line.

Rice struck again with an even more impressive free kick, curling the ball into the top corner in the 70th minute. This feat left the 15-time European champions in disbelief and crowned Rice as the first player to score multiple direct free kicks in a Champions League knockout stage.

Merino added to the tally by precisely converting Leandro Trossard’s assist into the bottom corner 15 minutes before the match concluded, providing Arsenal a substantial advantage for the return leg in Madrid next week.

Real’s challenge will be compounded by the absence of Camavinga, who received a second yellow card in the dying moments for unsportingly kicking the ball away.

The victor of this thrilling encounter will advance to face either Aston Villa or Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals.