Bend it like Declan: Rice curls home two free kicks as Arsenal beats Real Madrid 3-0 in CL quarters
Apr 8, 2025 | 2:02 PM
LONDON (AP) — 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.
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.
