With his first free-kick from nearly 30m, Declan Rice revealed that captain Martin Odegaard and free-kick coach Nicolas Jover suggested he should cross the ball.
"So I was ready for a cross, after all I had hit the wall or the crossbar too many times," said the Arsenal midfielder, "However I looked at the way Real's wall was set up and the position of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, then the idea of shooting straight flashed through my mind.
Bukayo Saka told me to feel it and shoot if it felt right. I also thought that in that position, making a pass was very difficult, it required a lot of finesse. So I said, I will shoot. The ball ended up going in. I don't know what I was thinking at that moment, it was such a great moment."
The first goal gave Rice a boost, and the next came in the 70th minute. "I was confident and took the second free-kick," said the hero of Arsenal's 3-0 win over Real. "I was so excited and happy, it felt like I was flying to the moon. Looking back, I think what I did against Real was really special."
Declan Rice is the first player to score two free-kick goals in a Champions League knockout match. |
Ahead of the first leg of the quarter-final, coach Mikel Arteta knows that beating Real will require more than just skill or tactics, and he has encouraged his players to create “moments of magic” and write their own history at the Emirates on Tuesday night.
Rice listened and he did. At Arsenal, he often took corners and sometimes free kicks. However, his effectiveness was not high. Perhaps for that reason, Real's defense underestimated the danger he posed.
In the most spectacular fashion, the 26-year-old midfielder produced two spectacular curlers just 12 minutes apart. Even free-kick king Roberto Carlos smiled in amazement from the stands. Not only did Rice score his first career goal from a direct free-kick, he also became the first player to score two goals from free-kicks in a Champions League knockout match.
Thanh Hai
Source: https://tienphong.vn/nhung-bi-mat-dang-sau-hai-pha-da-phat-tuyet-dinh-cua-declan-rice-post1732160.tpo
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