Arsenal in dreamland as they demolish Real Madrid 3-0 in London
Rice scored his second of the night with a free-kick of similar quality 12 minutes later, bending another long-range effort into the top right-hand corner to leave Madrid stunned.
Arsenal delivered a classic European display to see them to a 3-0 lead over a shell shocked Real Madrid at the Emirates Stadium in London Tuesday night in the UEFA Champions League quarter final first leg.
Declan Rice, with two fantastic free kicks, and Mikel Merino secured the home side a deserved three-goal lead.
Elsewhere in Germany, Inter Milan scored a 2-1 success over Bayern Munich away from home to carry a narrow lead to Italy next week for the return leg.
The Gunners were indebted to some fine goalkeeping from David Raya and superb defending from William Saliba and Jakub Kiwior to avoid conceding early on in the match.
Real's Kylian Mbappe had two opportunities to score early on in the game.
The Gunners, who've had an injury hit season were the better side all evening and took the lead in the 58th minute, when Rice curled the first of two top level free-kicks round the Real Madrid wall into the corner of the net past Thibaut Courtois who was superb all night.
Rice scored his second of the night with a free-kick of similar quality 12 minutes later, bending another long-range effort into the top right-hand corner to leave Madrid stunned.
Makeshift striker Mikel Merino then made sure it was a memorable night for Arsenal when he curled a shot into the bottom corner from inside the area just five minutes later.
Things only got worse for Madrid when Eduardo Camavinga was sent off in stoppage time for picking up a second yellow card, meaning he will miss the return leg in Madrid in a few days time.
In Germany, David Fratessi won the clash late in the day for the visitors after Bayern, who squandered a host of chances to take the lead, were brutally punished by the visiting Italians.
Injury ravaged Bayern, nursing an almost full ward of sidelined players, set the tone in the first half-hour, with Michael Olise and especially Harry Kane failing to break through.
Inter opened the scoring on the 38-minute mark when Marcus Thuram's clever back-heel found Lautaro Martinez, who blasted home.
The Italians maintained control until Bayern veteran Thomas Mueller, days after announcing a summer departure after 25 years at the club, scored the equaliser with a close-range finish.
However, as the clock ran down and not content to sit back for a draw as Bayern pushed, Inter broke on the counter just three minutes later, with Carlos Augusto finding Frattesi, who scored Inter's second.
The return legs will be played next week on Wednesday, 16 April 2025.