Declan Rice delivered a free-kick masterclass against Real Madrid, leaving Kylian Mbappe and the 15-time European champions in shock.
Arsenal controlled much of the first half in their Champions League quarter-final first leg but struggled to find the finishing touch, with Thibaut Courtois producing an outstanding double save to keep them at bay.
However, the Belgian goalkeeper had no answer when Rice broke the deadlock in the 58th minute.
From around 25 yards out, Rice channeled his inner David Beckham, curling a stunning shot over the wall and beyond a diving Courtois—one of the finest goals of this season’s Champions League.
Known for his precision from set-pieces, Rice took his delivery to another level with a strike so spectacular that Mbappe was caught on camera with his mouth wide open in disbelief. When the broadcast cut to Mbappe and Rice’s England teammate Jude Bellingham, both looked stunned by the sheer brilliance of the effort.
Amazingly, Rice wasn’t done. Just 12 minutes later, he produced an even more breathtaking free-kick.
After Bukayo Saka was fouled outside the box, Rice stepped up again and executed an even better strike, bending the ball into the top corner from a similar distance to beat Courtois for the second time.
Remarkably, before this match, Rice had never scored a direct free-kick in any of his 338 club appearances—then he netted two in quick succession. His tally for the season now stands at seven goals and eight assists, further solidifying his importance to Arsenal.
The Emirates erupted once more when Mikel Merino added a third, finishing off a Myles Lewis-Skelly cut-back to give Arsenal a commanding 3-0 advantage heading into the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on April 16.
Legends like Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp have created unforgettable moments in Arsenal’s history, and Rice’s stunning free-kicks are sure to be remembered by Gunners fans for years—especially if they go on to lift the one trophy that has eluded them.
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