It was a night and a result that Arsenal fans would never have expected.
In front of its devoted fans, the North London team advanced to the Declan Rice Champions League semifinals by defeating Spanish superpower Real Madrid 3-0 in the first leg of the quarterfinal.
However, amid the frenzy inside the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, one individual stood out: Arsenal player Declan Rice.
The England international netted two superb free kicks in the second half to put his team comfortably in control of the match.
Rice’s first heroic attempt came in the 58th minute when he broke the tie with a shot that blasted around Real Madrid’s wall and into the corner of the net.
The stadium exploded as Arsenal’s players celebrated their incredible goal, only for lightning to hit twice inside 12 minutes.
With home fans still ecstatic, Arsenal received another free kick on the opposite side of the area. Rice stepped up again, producing an arguably better strike than before.
This time, instead of going over the wall, he fired his shot into the upper corner of the goalkeeper’s side. In actuality, Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois could do nothing with either freekick, and Rice couldn’t believe what he had just done on the biggest stage.
Rice is the only player in Declan Rice Champions League knockout stage history to score two direct free kicks, according to Opta.
“It’s been in the locker, but I’ve hit the wall too many times, or it’s gone over the bar,” Rice told Amazon Prime following the game.
“Originally, we were going to cross it, but now I see the wall and the goalkeeper’s position. So I decided to go for it.
“The second one, I was confident. I struck it. It won’t hit me right now because I still have another leg to go.
“I’m thrilled, delighted, and overjoyed. But in a few years, I’ll realize what I did tonight was truly amazing.”
Madrid, which appeared anxious from the start of the game, could not reply and found another goal behind when Mikel Merino completed the carnage in the 75th minute by finishing a fluid Arsenal play.
To make matters worse, Madrid’s midfielder Eduardo Camavinga was sent off in the dying moments after receiving a second yellow card for kicking the ball away in a rage.
Arsenal, however, was already in nirvana.
Unforgettable evening Declan Rice Champions League
Even the most devoted Arsenal fan would have been concerned heading into the game against a Declan Rice Champions League specialist.
Real Madrid has won the Declan Rice Champions League the most times (15), and the Spanish club has won five of the last ten editions.
Compare that to Arsenal, which has never won the title and came close in 2006 when it finished second to Barcelona.
However, the home crowd was filled with hope rather than expectation when the players went out on a bright spring evening in North London.
The weather was ideal for a soccer contest of this importance, and the crowd generated a spine-tingling atmosphere befitting the event.
But, for once, Real Madrid and all of its superstars appeared to suffer from the start.
Arsenal settled significantly quicker than its opponent, who only showed flashes of brilliance in the first half, with Kylian Mbappé twice failing to convert when through on goal.
Mbappé and Vinícius Jr. remained quiet during Madrid’s defeat.
However, the return of star player Bukayo Saka was much-needed for the hosts, with spectators jumping out of their seats whenever the striker got the ball. The winger, who had been out injured since December, supplied several dangerous crosses for his team as Arsenal piled on the pressure.
With the game on a knife’s edge, Saka was bundled over, allowing Rice to score his first fantastic attempt.
Amid all the excitement at full-time, it was easy to forget that the task was only halfway done. Arsenal will go to Madrid for the second leg on April 16, hoping to prevent Madrid from making one of the greatest comebacks in soccer history.
“Beautiful. “So happy and proud of the team,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told Amazon Prime following the victory. “We had the opportunity to make many people proud, and we indeed did so. I’ve never seen a stadium like this.
“It’s another step in the right way for the team. We need to create another one and reproduce what we did tonight.
For now, Arsenal fans can commemorate one of the club’s most memorable nights in its lengthy history.
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