On a night that will be etched into Arsenal folklore, Declan Rice – not previously known for his prowess from set-pieces – delivered a pair of stunning free kicks to leave holders Real Madrid reeling and the Gunners with one foot in the semi-finals of the Uefa Champions League.
A 3-0 win over the 15-time European champions at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday defied all pre-match predictions and placed Mikel Arteta’s men firmly in command ahead of next week’s second leg at the Bernabeu.
In his 339th career appearance, Rice finally opened his free-kick account in emphatic fashion – and did so twice, against one of the world’s best goalkeepers in Thibaut Courtois. Arsenal, meanwhile, ended a barren run of nearly four years without scoring from a direct free kick, a statistic not lost on Arteta.
“To do it twice, in 12 minutes, against a team like Real and a goalkeeper like Courtois – what are the odds?” said the Arsenal manager. “It’s amazing. It speaks to the mentality and execution of Declan.”
The England midfielder’s brace came in a breathless second-half period that saw Arsenal, fuelled by a white-hot home crowd, overwhelm their Spanish visitors. Mikel Merino added a third to cap a dominant performance and put Arsenal within touching distance of their first Champions League semi-final since 2009.
Few gave Arteta’s side much of a chance before kick off. Now, they head to the Spanish capital as favourites – not just to advance, but perhaps to dream even bigger.
“I’ve never seen the stadium like this,” Arteta said. “You need those big European nights, the atmosphere, the magic moments – that’s the beauty of football.”
Real Madrid, for all their European pedigree, now face a mountain they have never scaled: overturning a three-goal deficit in the knockout stages of the Champions League. But Carlo Ancelotti, the competition’s most decorated manager, has not thrown in the towel.
“There is always a first time,” Ancelotti said. “The odds are against us, but the comeback starts tonight. We must give everything.”
Inter Milan seized a narrow but significant 2-1 advantage against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena, with substitute Davide Frattesi striking late to puncture the hosts’ hopes and consign them to their first home Champions League defeat since 2021.
Marcus Thuram’s deft back-heel set up Lautaro Martinez to give the visitors the lead before Bayern stalwart Thomas Muller, days after announcing he would leave the club after 25 years, levelled with five minutes to play. But Inter’s response was immediate, Frattesi latching onto a Carlos Augusto cross to seal a memorable win.
For Bayern, undermanned and out of rhythm, it was a night of frustration. “We had good moments,” said manager Vincent Kompany. “Now it’s about winning in Milan – and we believe we can.”
But for Arsenal and Inter, the script could not have been written better. Both took decisive steps toward the last four – with the added bonus of delivering performances worthy of the occasion.
