Declan Rice's Free-Kick Brilliance Against Real Madrid: Arsenal Midfielder's Champions League Set-Piece Mastery

Declan Rice made history with a stunning brace of free-kicks in just 12 minutes, helping Arsenal secure a commanding 3-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals. His first free-kick of the night marked the first time he had ever scored directly from a free-kick in his senior career.

The two goals broke a four-year drought for Arsenal in direct free-kick scoring, with the last one coming from Martin Ødegaard against Burnley in September 2021. While Bukayo Saka's free-kick against PSG earlier this season was technically a direct strike, it was widely considered more of a cross.

Despite the long wait, Rice had made 338 senior appearances without finding the back of the net from a free-kick. But on this unforgettable night, it was as if the floodgates had opened—two spectacular free-kicks within minutes, an achievement reminiscent of London buses: you wait years for one, and two arrive at once.

Arsenal had tried for years to score from free-kicks, with Rice previously taking 12 attempts without success. But as Rice’s goals demonstrated, converting from such situations is no easy feat—just ask Kylian Mbappé, who has yet to score a direct free-kick despite 17 attempts.

Rice’s brace places him in illustrious company with players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and Neymar, all of whom have scored twice from direct free-kicks in a single Champions League game. However, Rice is the only player to accomplish this feat in the knockout stages, and he's also the first Arsenal player in history to score a direct free-kick beyond the group stage.

Mikel Arteta hailed Rice’s double as "magic moments" that summed up the incredible nature of the 3-0 win, and Arsenal's hopes of reaching the Champions League semifinals now look brighter than ever.