Declan Rice's 'Magical' Free Kick Leads Arsenal to Victory Over Real Madrid

Declan Rice described his stunning free kick against Real Madrid as “magical,” and expressed his aspiration for Arsenal to clinch Champions League triumph after taking decisive control of their quarterfinal matchup against the reigning champions.

Arsenal delivered a shocking 3-0 triumph over Madrid in the first leg at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, with Rice netting his first-ever direct free kicks in a pivotal club match, leaving Carlo Ancelotti’s squad stunned.

Despite a scoreless first half where Kylian Mbappé squandered Madrid’s top opportunities, Rice’s artistry shone as he curled a free kick into the net in the 58th minute and then surpassed that effort with another goal just 12 minutes later, eluding Real’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who had previously delivered a series of exceptional saves.

Mikel Merino secured the third goal five minutes later, and Eduardo Camavinga was dismissed during stoppage time after receiving a second yellow card for dissent.

“Scoring my first-ever free kick in a match is truly special. Then, accomplishing it again gave me the confidence. Honestly, words fail me,” Rice shared with Amazon Prime.

“Defeating Real Madrid in this competition is monumental for us. Scoring is the ultimate euphoria. Given the position, crossing didn’t make sense—it had to be an artful pass. Realizing the situation with the defensive wall, I chose to go for it. I’m thrilled because it was indeed magical.

“The full impact of what I achieved tonight hasn’t sunk in yet. It’s a landmark night, netting two goals against Real Madrid. Our ultimate goal is to win this tournament, but we must approach it one match at a time.”

Arteta disclosed that discussions among players and staff included the last instance the team scored a direct free kick, which occurred nearly four years ago.