Overview

• Arsenal defeated Real Madrid 3:0 in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals at the Emirates Stadium, putting the Spanish giants' title defense in jeopardy.
• Declan Rice made Champions League history by scoring two direct free kicks in a single knockout-stage match, a feat never achieved before.
• Arsenal's success was driven by tactical innovation, including assigning free kick duties to Rice, a role he rarely performed prior to this match.
• Mikel Merino added a third goal for Arsenal, capping off a dominant second-half performance that overwhelmed Real Madrid.
• Real Madrid's struggles were compounded by Eduardo Camavinga's yellow-red card in stoppage time, further complicating their path to a comeback in the return leg.