Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid
Champions League report
by Layth Yousif
at Ashburton Grove

ARSENAL boss Mikel Arteta has hailed Gunners hero Declan Rice after the England midfielder’s sensational free-kick double was the catalyst for their magnificent victory over reigning Champions League holders Real Madrid.

Having the night of his life, the irresistible Rice — who had never before scored a direct free kick in his 338 previous matches — performed a miracle masterclass in fevered north London on Tuesday evening to notch a brace of outstanding second-half free-kicks to send the Gunners into dreamland.

With makeshift striker Mikel Merino grabbing a superb third, Arsenal are now within touching distance of a first Champions League semi-final appearance since 2009, as they sealed the finest victory of the Arteta era, and arguably the greatest European victory in the club’s history. 

Speaking after the match, Arteta said of humble hero Rice: “He’s been very determined because we have talked in the last few months that we haven’t scored a direct free-kick since September 2021, Burnley away, Martin Odegaard.

“So, it’s been a long time, and to score two goals in 12 minutes of that magnitude of that quality from the same player, a player that has never scored a free-kick before in his career, I mean, what are the odds? He’s done it tonight.

“I’m a big believer that the crowd played something with the energy that they put in and it helped us massively in the game.”

The victory also ensured a fifth place for English sides in next season’s Champions League, while hopes will be rising that the Gunners can finally go all the way in the tournament that they reached the final back in 2006. 

To cap a miserable night for the great Carlo Ancelotti and his storied side, Eduardo Camavinga was sent off in stoppage time, and will now miss the second leg in the Bernabeu. 

Rice admitted that for his opening free-kick goal, he was instructed to cross the ball rather than strike it by set-piece coach Nicola Jover.

However, the 26-year-old opted to whip the ball past the wall and the despairing dive of Thibaut Courtois after Bukayo Saka, who also had a superb game, told him to shoot. 

Reflecting afterwards Rice said: “He [Jover] is telling me to cross. It didn’t make sense. I’m happy I took it. Bukayo said: ‘If you feel it, go for it.’ I looked at the wall and the keeper and thought, ‘I can bend this around the outside.’

“It’s been in the locker, but I’ve hit the wall too many times or it’s gone over the bar. Originally, we were going to cross it and I’ve just seen the wall and the goalkeeper’s position. So, I thought just got for it.”

Modest Rice added: “I’m over the moon. In a few years’ time this will really hit me what I’ve done tonight. ”

Real, the mighty but fallen giants, current holders and 15-times winners, are in danger of failing to make the last four for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

England midfielder Jude Bellingham said after the match: “We were nowhere near it.

“We were lucky to get away with 3-0. We’ll need something unbelievably special — something crazy next week.

“But if there’s one place where crazy things happen, it’s at our house. There’s loads of time left.

“Anything can happen at the Bernabeu.”

“Just like the magical evening that occurred in North London on a night that will be remembered forever among Gooners.”