- Arsenal defeated reigning champions Real Madrid 3–0 at home in a historic Champions League night
- Declan Rice scored two stunning free kicks; Mikel Merino added a third
- Real offered little response and finished with ten men after Camavinga’s late red card
Key Takeaways:
Arsenal recorded a memorable European night in their history by thrashing reigning champions Real Madrid 3–0 at home in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. Declan Rice (58’, 70’) shone with two incredible goals directly from free kicks, having never scored one before in his career. He was followed by European champion with Spain Mikel Merino (75’), who worsened the situation for his compatriots, putting them on the verge of elimination. The return leg at the Bernabéu will be next Wednesday (16 April), with the winner advancing to face either Paris Saint-Germain or Aston Villa in the semi-finals.
Unforgettable night. Unforgettable performance. pic.twitter.com/Y5ECiynjBe
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 8, 2025
The Emirates witnessed an outstanding Arsenal side after the break, as well as a rather unconvincing Real Madrid. The hosts had at least four more clear chances. The “Kings of Europe” remained passive, with only Kylian Mbappé looking more active and having a few chances, including a one-on-one just before the break. In the opening minutes, there was a controversial moment over a potential penalty for Arsenal, and in the final seconds, Eduardo Camavinga received a needless second yellow card and was sent off.
The first few minutes brought notable moments, mostly from defensive mistakes. In the 6th minute, Rüdiger kicked the ball into Camavinga’s body, and it almost ended up in Courtois’ net. From the resulting corner, Partey struck the ball, but his teammate Saliba, standing on the goal line, accidentally blocked it.
Ancelotti’s players accepted the role of waiting. The lively Mbappé got his first real chance in the 31st minute when Bellingham played him in behind Arsenal’s defence, but his shot didn’t trouble David Raya.
Two more chances followed for Arsenal through Saka’s runs and crosses down the right wing. The team’s clearest opportunities came in the 44th minute, when Courtois made consecutive saves from Rice and Martinelli.
The second half started with a high share of possession for the hosts, although Mbappé did manage a shot after a well-crafted attack by his teammates.
That led to the 58th minute, which brought the home crowd to its feet. Rice scored a superb free kick after a foul on Saka.
Amazingly, Arsenal didn’t increase their lead between the 67th and 68th minutes, despite four attempts that were just barely cleared by the visiting defenders.
The second goal came soon after, in the 70th minute, when Rice netted another sensational free kick. The third wasn’t long in coming — in the 75th minute, Merino showed what he can do with his left foot to make it 3–0.
With the result extremely damaging for Real, a response was expected, but none came. Ancelotti’s players never managed to step up, and in the end, Camavinga was sent off after receiving a second yellow card.