Arsenal produced a sensational second-half performance to blow past Real Madrid with a commanding 3-0 victory in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout tie on Tuesday night.
All three goals came in the second half, with Declan Rice scoring a freekick brace and substitute Mikel Merino adding a third. The win puts the Premier League side in a strong position ahead of the second leg in Madrid.
After a goalless first half, the deadlock was broken in the 58th minute when Rice struck a freekick from the edge of the area following sustained pressure from the hosts. The midfielder doubled Arsenal’s lead 12 minutes later, striking another freekick in the 70th minute.
Arsenal’s dominance continued when Merino, who had just come on for Myles Lewis-Skelly, scored in the 75th minute to make it 3-0.
Real Madrid finished the match with 10 men after Eduardo Camavinga was sent off in stoppage time for a second yellow card, having received his first booking in the 69th minute.
Arsenal controlled the tempo for much of the match, recording 53% possession and 11 shots on target, compared to Madrid’s 3. The Spanish side struggled to create clear opportunities and were limited to just 3 corner kicks and 2 blocked shots throughout the match.
The result marks a significant setback for Carlo Ancelotti’s team, who now face a difficult task at the Santiago Bernabéu in the return leg.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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