‘I do not believe it will strike me,’ Rice exults in the enchantment of free kicks Declan Rice had never scored a free kick in his professional career, which spanned 338 appearances. After 339, he had scored two.
Prior to Arsenal’s remarkable 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, he had only attempted 12 free kicks in his entire career. English midfielder Rice floated the ball past Thibaut Courtois and around the Madrid wall to give Arsenal the lead after 58 minutes, despite the game being tied at 0-0.
The Gunners were in control. The 26-year-old then repeated the feat 12 minutes later, becoming the first player to convert two free-kicks in a Champions League knockout match. The sensational curling strike into the top corner was so impressive that Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard and manager Mikel Arteta were left in a state of disbelief, clutching their temples.
Roberto Carlos, a former defender for Real Madrid and Brazil who was renowned for his ability to execute set-pieces, was observed in the bleachers with a melancholy expression. Rice informed Amazon Prime following the game, “I am uncertain as to whether it will ever fully penetrate.”Since then, I have returned to my phone, and it has become abnormally active.
It is a unique experience to score my first free kick in a game. And then, when I received the second one, I simply had the confidence. “I am truly speechless.” What I have done tonight is unlikely to have a significant impact on me. It is a night of historical significance. Rice has the joint second-highest number of dead-ball assists (eight) in all competitions over the past two seasons, and Arsenal have become renowned for their menace at set-pieces.
However, netting from direct free kicks is a distinct phenomenon. Arteta stated following the match that Arsenal had not scored a goal since September 2021. However, Opta data indicates that Bukayo Saka scored against Paris St-Germain in October 2024 from a free-kick that drifted in from the right touchline. Arsenal have attempted
70 direct free-kick attempts in all competitions since the 2021 Odegaard free-kick goal against Burnley, with Odegaard taking 30 of them. Rice stated after the match that he observed the space around the wall for the first goal and informed Saka that he was confident, despite Arsenal’s set-piece instructor Nicolas Jover signalling for him to cross it. The England winger replied, “If you are feeling it, go for it.” Rice stated,
“It was illogical to cross the ball from that vantage point.” It would necessitate a delicate approach. I am delighted that I acquired it, as it was truly magical. Jover continued to celebrate by wheeling off, and Rice later stated that the coach was “claiming it.” Arteta stated, “He is free to claim it if he so desires; it is irrelevant.” It is extraordinary.”
At the Bernabeu special things happen’
The return leg at the Bernabeu takes place on 16 April – and there are plenty of good omens for Arsenal.
Their win is the 12th time an English side have won by three or more goals in the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie. Each of the 11 previous winners have progressed.
However, Real Madrid are a different beast at the Bernabeu and will only need to look back to 2022 when they overturned a 5-3 aggregate score in the final minutes against Manchester City.
“To beat Real Madrid in this competition, it’s a big night for us,” said Rice.
“But even if we’re 3-0 up, the individual quality they have is scary.
“At the Bernabeu special things happen for them.
“We want to win this competition, but we have to take it one game at a time.”
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