Declan Rice stole the highlight with two sensational free kicks as Arsenal cruised to a 3-0 win over defending champions Real Madrid within the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
Rice struck twice from dead-ball conditions in a dominant second-half show earlier than Mikel Merino capped the night time with a composed end. Madrid’s hopes of advancing hold by a thread, worsened by Eduardo Camavinga’s stoppage-time pink card for a second yellow.
Speaking to Amazon Prime, Merino praised Rice’s brilliance: “We had some free kicks recently that didn’t go in. But he’s got one of the best strikes I’ve ever seen. I’m not surprised – maybe you are. Hopefully there’s more to come.”
In Germany, captain Lautaro Martinez struck fantastically for Inter Milan barely in opposition to the run of play within the thirty eighth minute after Harry Kane hit the put up for the hosts when it regarded simpler to attain.
Thomas Müller, who’s leaving Bayern on the finish of the season, leveled within the eighty fifth, however fellow substitute Davide Frattesi gained it three minutes later as Bayern misplaced a European house match for the primary time in 22 video games.
“We have only played the first half, the first leg,” Müller mentioned. “We created the chances, but we didn’t manage to take the lead with Harry’s massive opportunity. Inter are sticky like chewing gum. They have some experienced players.”
Injury-hit Bayern now head to San Siro subsequent Wednesday with a mammoth job, whereas Madrid face a fair steeper climb at house in opposition to the Londoners on the Santiago Bernabéu.
Arsenal, with Merino once more enjoying as an emergency striker, began brightly however initially didn’t make their early dominance depend.
Madrid, aiming for a record-extending sixteenth title, lined up as anticipated, and Kylian Mbappé was denied by David Raya as the primary half wore on on the Emirates.
Rice’s header and Gabriel Martinelli’s follow-up had been then stored out by fit-again Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
A curling free kick from Rice that began nicely outdoors the put up broke the impasse within the 58th minute, and he repeated the trick shortly afterward.
Madrid had little to supply in response, with Jude Bellingham quiet on his homecoming, and Merino punished his fellow Spaniards within the seventy fifth minute.
In Munich, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany opted in opposition to changing injured playmaker Jamal Musiala with Müller, who, it was introduced Saturday, is leaving his solely membership at season’s finish.
Instead, standard left again Raphaël Guerreiro performed surprisingly as a No. 10, with right-footed defender Josip Stanišić at left again.
Serie A champions and leaders Inter, who beat Bayern to raise their third title in 2010, had former Bayern goalkeeper Yann Sommer and defender Benjamin Pavard within the lineup – and so they had been quickly below strain.
Bundesliga leaders Bayern, who final gained the Champions League in 2020, had the primary good probability when Michael Olise fired simply broad earlier than Kane headed straight at Sommer.
Guerreiro and Olise pressured the Swiss stopper into saves halfway via the primary half, and Kane then clipped the put up with a golden alternative.
The Italians, runners-up to Manchester City two seasons in the past, discovered promising positions however struggled to check Bayern’s younger stand-in keeper Jonas Urbig earlier than Martinez made the breakthrough.
The Argentina striker expertly completed off Marcus Thuram’s layoff to stun the Allianz Arena.
Martinez has now scored in 4 straight Champions League matches, with six targets in that stretch.
He almost added a second within the fifty fifth minute, however Urbig did nicely to disclaim him. Bayern threatened solely sporadically after the break in opposition to a stout Nerazzurri protection, with Stanišić and Guerreiro going shut earlier than Müller turned in Konrad Laimer’s cross on the far put up.
Frattesi then struck from shut vary as Bayern had been caught napping, sealing a usually dogged Inter win.
Five-time champions Barcelona host 1997 winners Borussia Dortmund, and newly topped French champions Paris Saint-Germain welcome 1982 winners Aston Villa in Wednesday’s first legs.
Source: www.dailysabah.com