New Delhi: Declan Rice delivered a free kick masterclass to help Arsenal thrash Real Madrid 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium in London on Wednesday to script one of their most memorable victories in the Champions League in recent times. Arsenal ran riot at home with three second-half goals to win the first leg of the quarter-final tie emphatically and put one foot into the semi-final of the tournament.
After a goalless first half where Real Madrid were wasteful in front of the goal, with star striker Kylian Mbappe missing a host of chances to put the visitors in front, Arsenal bounced back to stun the defending champions with a spirited show in the second half. Rice led the inspiring Arsenal comeback with two goals from two direct free kicks in 12 minutes to leave Madrid stunned.
The English midfielder opened the scoring for Arsenal in the 58th minute when he curled in a superbly taken free kick that beat Real Madrid’s four-man wall for the ball to end up in the back of the net. 12 minutes later, Rice produced yet another stunning free kick that ended up in the top corner to double Arsenal’s lead.
Rice’s second goal in the 70th minute put the hosts in the driver’s seat in the crucial encounter before Mikel Merino made it 3-0 in the 75th minute to all but end any hopes of a late Real Madrid comeback. Merino capitalised on an accurate pass from Myles Lewis-Skelly and slotted it past Real Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois to seal a stunning victory for the Gunners.
Real Madrid were left frustrated further after midfielder Eduado Camavinga was sent off in the stoppage time, reducing them to 10 men. The scoreline could have gotten worse for Real Madrid in the later stages of the game if not for some crucial saves from goalkeeper Courtois. Arsenal haven’t reached the Champions League semi-finals since 2009 and will be hoping to bring an end to the wait by winning the second leg of the quarter-final tie in Madrid.
Inter Milan beat Bayern Munich
Inter Milan beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, to get a step closer to reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League 2024-25. A late strike from substitute Davide Frattesi helped the Italian giants earn a crucial victory against Bayern after it seemed the game was headed towards a 1-1 draw.
Bayern dominated the proceedings in the opening 30 minutes of the game but lost momentum after Lautaro Martinez scored the opened in the 38th minute to put Inter ahead. Martinez got on the end of a sublime flick from Marcus Thuram and finished it emphatically to put Inter in the lead.
The first half ended with Inter leading 1-0 as Bayern failed to muster an immediate comeback. They managed to equalise in the 85th minute with the help of a goal from Thomas Muller and looked happy to settle for a 1-1 draw. However, Frattesi had other plans as he struck from a pass from Carlos Augusto to give Inter a crucial 2-1 lead in the 88th minute, effectively clinching them the game.
The 2-1 defeat marked an end to Bayern Munich’s 22-match unbeaten streak at home as they now prepare to fight for survival in the second leg of the quarter-final at San Siro.
Arsenal produced one of their most memorable performances in recent times to maul Real Madrid 3-0 at home in the first leg of their quarter-final clash to inch closer to their spot in the semi-finals. Inter Milan beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in their first leg encounter at the Allianz Arena. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
