Real Madrid had a rough night at the Emirates Stadium, falling 3-0 to Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. Declan Rice stole the show with two free-kicks goals, while Mikel Merino added the final dagger. Carlo Ancelotti’s side failed to gain any advantage and now faces an uphill battle next week at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The lopsided result shocked fans, especially since the first half ended scoreless. Both teams traded chances but couldn’t break the deadlock in the opening 45 minutes.
In the second half, Mikel Arteta’s squad took complete control. Rice opened the scoring in the 58th minute with a brilliant free kick and doubled the lead just 12 minutes later with another stunning strike in the 70th minute, becoming the fifth player in history to score two goals from free kicks in the same Champions League match.
The exclamation point came courtesy of Mikel Merino, who found the back of the net after a perfectly timed assist from Myles Lewis-Skelly. Merino’s goal sealed Arsenal’s emphatic victory and pushed Real Madrid further onto the ropes.
