Arsenal blasted its way past Real Madrid, and will take a 3-0 lead to Spain for next week’s second leg. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
(Stuart MacFarlane via Getty Images)
Declan Rice whipped two wondergoals past Real Madrid, and Arsenal pounded the defending European champions on Tuesday, pushing them to the brink of elimination in a stunning Champions League quarterfinal first leg.
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The Gunners beat Real 3-0 on three second-half goals. The first, a bending Rice free kick, was cathartic; the second, an otherworldly Rice free kick, was stupefying; the third, tucked away by Mikel Merino, made Arsenal a clear favorite to dethrone the kings of Europe next week.
At halftime, which feels like ages ago, the kings were comfortable. Tuesday’s match, at the Emirates Stadium in North London, was knotted at 0-0. Arsenal was better but striker-less. Real Madrid looked perfectly happy with the pace and state of the game, and capable of taking a scoreless draw back to Spain for the second leg next Wednesday.
Then, in the 58th minute, Rice struck.
And then, in the 70th minute, he struck again.
His Arsenal teammate, Martin Ødegaard, brought his hands to his head in disbelief.
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Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham simply shook his head, expressing the opposite side of the same emotion.
Rice ran toward the corner, and mounted an advertising board, while Real’s Kylian Mbappé raised his eyebrows, with begrudging respect, shellshocked but impressed.
Five minutes later, Merino made it 3-0, and a triumphant roar lifted the Emirates. Against any other team, it would’ve represented game, set, match.
Against this one, against Real Madrid, no Champions League tie is over at the midway point; no lead is ever safe; no opponent, at least not in this competition, is ever confident.
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But Real Madrid, aura and all, is in trouble — deep trouble. Its inevitability has vanished. Its struggles in La Liga have now bled into the Champions League. And now, its task next week is quite large.
Elsewhere, so is Bayern Munich’s. The German giants lost 2-1 at home to Inter Milan.
A blow-by-blow recap of both games, including highlights, is below.
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