Bend it like Declan: Rice curls home two free kicks as Arsenal beats Real Madrid 3-0 in CL quarters
Declan Rice curled home two superb free kicks to help give Arsenal a 3-0 win over defending champion Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Read also:
- Power Rankings: Lions Still ‘Major Threat’ in 2025
- Greg Millen cause of death: What did the ex-NHL goalie and broadcaster die of?
- Prince Harry returns to UK for legal battle as King Charles ignores him to celebrate anniversary abroad without acknowledging it
- Totti hits out at Messi: “Put him 25 years at Roma and tell me how many Ballon d’Ors he would win”
- Memorabilia scammer forged Kardashian, Trump autographs for up to $550K, feds say
Rice opened the scoring in the 58th minute by bending a free kick around the Madrid wall and inside the near post, leaving goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois stranded.
With Madrid great Roberto Carlos looking on in the stands – the Brazilian scored a number of spectacular free kicks in his day – Rice then repeated the feat in the 70th by curling another effort into the far top corner.
Mikel Merino added the third five minutes later to put Arsenal on the brink of returning to the semifinals for the first time since 2009.
Only a handful of saves from Courtois prevented the scoreline from getting even bigger.
It was the teams’ first meeting since 2006, when Arsenal eliminated Madrid in the round of 16.
The second leg will be played April 16 at Santiago Bernabeu stadium
