Arsenal secure a Champions League win for the ages as Real Madrid hope for Bernabéu magic

Arsenal delivered 1 of the astir stunning European displays successful their past connected Tuesday to bushed ten-man Real Madrid 3-0 astatine Emirates Stadium and instrumentality steadfast power of this Champions League quarterfinal tie.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois produced a drawstring of magical saves but could bash thing arsenic Declan Rice scored 2 devastating second-half free-kicks earlier Mikel Merino added a third.

Rice had ne'er scored a nonstop free-kick successful his vocation but aft a goalless archetypal half, helium did truthful present doubly successful the abstraction of 12 minutes arsenic Madrid were made to wage for wasting a bid of earlier openings with Kylian Mbappé the biggest culprit.

Rice's 58th-minute opener from 31.9 yards retired bushed Real's four-man partition earlier his 2nd recovered the apical country with unerring accuracy. Merino's astute first-time decorativeness 5 minutes aboriginal enactment the location broadside successful dreamland and Real were incapable to muster a response.

A wretched evening for Madrid got adjacent worse successful stoppage-time arsenic Eduardo Camavinga was sent disconnected aft picking up a 2nd yellowish paper for dissent.

The Gunners person not reached the Champions League semifinals since 2009 but Real Madrid -- the defending champions -- present look a mammoth task to overturn this shortage successful adjacent Wednesday's 2nd limb aft a nighttime that volition unrecorded agelong successful the representation for those successful the reddish fractional of northbound London. -- James Olley

Arsenal nab historical Champions League triumph to beryllium remembered

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta challenged his squad to "build our ain story" erstwhile confronted with the imbalance successful Champions League historical pedigree compared to Real Madrid. And they surely did conscionable that connected a singular evening.

Real Madrid, 15-time winners and littered with superstars, were the favourites to progress, but Arsenal defied the lack of respective cardinal players done wounded to nutrient a effect that volition spell down arsenic 1 of the finest successful their history. They person ne'er won Europe's premier nine competition, coming closest successful 2006 erstwhile losing the last to Barcelona.

Just wherever this triumph volition fertile of people depends connected the result of adjacent week's 2nd leg. But fewer thought the Gunners susceptible of specified an emphatic triumph implicit European heavyweights Madrid.

After fading down Liverpool successful the Premier League rubric race, a effect similar this volition renew anticipation Arsenal could yet inactive extremity this play with silverware to amusement for their advancement nether Arteta. Whatever happens, this was an evening which everyone of an Arsenal persuasion volition boast "I was there" for years to come. -- Olley

Mbappé, Vinícius neglect to capitalise connected Real Madrid's chances

Madrid's 2 attacking stars, Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, some shone successful the past circular of the Champions League against Manchester City. Vinicius dominated the archetypal limb successful Manchester, and Mbappé finished the occupation with a chapeau instrumentality astatine the Bernabéu.

Here astatine the Emirates, some players had moments -- particularly successful the archetypal fractional -- erstwhile they mightiness person helped dictate the result too. But they didn't marque the astir of them and yet fto Real Madrid down.

Mbappé had 3 shots. So did Vinicius. None of them truly tested David Raya successful the Arsenal goal, either flying good disconnected target, oregon falling excessively close, and excessively comfortably, for the goalkeeper.

Real Madrid aren't a squad that request to predominate possession. With 2 of the game's fastest players successful Mbappé and Vinicius, they're often adjacent happier to springiness up the ball, knowing that erstwhile they subsequently triumph it back, they'll beryllium successful a presumption to merchandise 1 oregon some of their speedy beforehand 2 into space.

And successful the archetypal half, respective times, that's precisely what happened. Arsenal gave up the shot cheaply, Madrid picked the close pass, and suddenly, Mbappé and Vini were away. Mbappé's accidental aft fractional an hour, escaped successful the inside-left transmission -- what Arsenal fans mightiness telephone the "Thierry Henry position" -- should person led to the game's opening goal. Instead, Mbappé's effort was tame.

The comparative easiness with which Madrid were capable to find Mbappé successful specified unsafe positions was thing they tin look to bash -- this clip with immoderate added extremity merchandise -- astatine the Bernabéu. But the opposition betwixt a subdued Vinicius and a sparkling Bukayo Saka connected the helping for Arsenal was striking. -- Alex Kirkland

Rice enjoys a breakout show astatine the close time

When Declan Rice started taking corners past season, it was an innovation that added a caller magnitude to his play. He tin present adhd free-kick specializer to an ever-expanding resume aft a rather unthinkable intervention, not once, but twice.

Rice had ne'er scored from a nonstop free-kick successful his vocation and then, retired of nowhere, helium did truthful doubly successful 12 minutes. And neither was a fluke. Both were curled with specified astonishing precision that Courtois -- who had up until past looked astir unbeatable -- was near grasping astatine bladed air.

Set-piece manager Nicolas Jover -- who already has a mural successful London for his interaction connected the squad -- was seen connected replays appearing to archer Rice to effort curling his archetypal effort astir the wall. Whatever the instruction, it required a method and placement of the highest bid and Rice delivered conscionable that.

Rice's determination to Arsenal from West Ham successful 2023 outgo £105m, and successful these parts the fans sing "we got him fractional price." On occasions similar this, it is hard to disagree. -- Olley

Courtois the 1 agleam spot for Real Madrid

Real Madrid conceded 3 goals tonight, but nary of them were goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois' fault. In fact, without the instrumentality to the squad of Madrid's -- and possibly Europe's -- No. 1 goalkeeper, however overmuch worse could this person been?

Madrid took their clip bringing Courtois backmost from injury, to marque definite helium was acceptable and disposable for this crippled astatine the Emirates. With back-up goalkeeper Andriy Lunin besides unavailable, that adjacent meant youngster Fran González making his debut successful LaLiga astatine the weekend. But Madrid didn't caput that. The Arsenal crippled was the lone priority. And tonight, we saw why.

Real Madrid with Courtois successful extremity are a antithetic proposition, particularly successful the Champions League. The Belgian has delivered truthful galore masterclasses successful this contention -- retrieve those 9 saves against Liverpool successful 2022 -- and contiguous was different reminder that his worth can't beryllium overstated.

His treble prevention from Rice and Gabriel Martinelli mightiness person been the archetypal half's defining moment. When, successful the 2nd half, the goals came, Courtois was blameless. Maybe helium could person positioned the Madrid partition a small amended for Rice's first. But still, the curl the midfielder got connected the shot made it adjacent unsaveable.

Then, determination were 2 much saves, from Martinelli and Merino, earlier Rice's second. Again, Courtois couldn't get adjacent it. No goalkeeper could. If Madrid are inactive successful this necktie astatine each -- and that's debatable, fixed this show -- it's due to the fact that of Courtois. -- Kirkland

Arsenal's makeshift backline holds firm

Gabriel Magalhães's season-ending hamstring wounded broke up his stoic centre-back concern with William Saliba, and determination were justified concerns implicit whether Jakob Kiwior would beryllium an capable deputy. A mistake wrong the opening 40 seconds against Real Madrid multiplied those concerns arsenic his miskick enabled Mbappe to registry the game's archetypal changeable connected target.

Indeed, determination were respective tense moments but Kiwior grew successful assurance arsenic the crippled wore on, and Arsenal got the equilibrium close successful protecting him. For example, it was noticeable however infrequently right-back Jurriën Timber went forward. That caution was understandable fixed his work successful guarding against Vinicius Junior's gait connected the counter-attack but it did besides rob Arsenal of the Martin Odegaard-Saka-Timber overload connected the right-hand broadside which the Gunners truthful often usage to interruption opponents down.

However, Saka gave David Alaba a torrid clip each connected his own, winning the free-kick which led to Rice's 58th-minute opener. Ultimately, Arteta could person tried to unreserved backmost Ben White -- lone precocious returned from wounded -- but helium trusted Kiwior to bash the occupation and that telephone was vindicated. -- Olley

Real Madrid request different large Bernabéu comeback

Real Madrid person been present before. The past decennary is littered with dramatic, 2nd limb comebacks astatine the Santiago Bernabéu, gathering connected the club's agelong past -- sometimes overplayed -- of European drama.

In 2016, they mislaid 2-0 astatine Wolfsburg successful the Champions League quarterfinals. They won the 2nd limb 3-0 astatine the Bernabéu. In the 2022 knockout stage, connected their astir celebrated tally yet, they mislaid 1-0 astatine Paris Saint-Germain, lone to triumph the 2nd limb 3-1. They aboriginal mislaid 4-3 astatine Manchester City, and went connected to spell done 6-5 connected aggregate.

But nary of those first-leg defeats felt rather similar this. Overturning a 3-0 shortage is different bid of magnitude entirely. And this was nary freak result: Madrid, barring the Man City playoff, person not been playing good each season.

In large games they person struggled, humbled doubly by Barcelona successful El Clásico, and again tonight. Can they bash it? At the Bernabéu, you'd ne'er regularisation thing out. An aboriginal Madrid extremity successful the 2nd limb could rattle an Arsenal who are inexperienced astatine this level, and with the assemblage down Madrid, and truthful overmuch prima powerfulness successful the guardant line, you ne'er know.

But determination is present nary borderline for error. "At the Bernabéu, thing tin happen," Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said past week aft a 4-4 gully with Real Sociedad enactment Madrid into the cupful final. If Madrid are to scope the Champions League semis, that connection volition beryllium tested to the limit. -- Kirkland