Declan Rice stunned Real Madrid with two sublime free-kick goals to inspire Arsenal to a commanding 3-0 victory in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final. The England midfielder, who had never scored directly from a free-kick before, shared how instinct and confidence played key roles in his unexpected brace.

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has spoken of his delight after netting two spectacular free-kicks to help the Gunners secure a 3-0 triumph over Real Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie.

Following a tightly contested first half, the north London side took control after the break, with Rice opening the scoring by curling a precise effort around the wall and beyond Thibaut Courtois. Twelve minutes later, he struck again – this time powering the ball into the top corner – to double Arsenal’s advantage in stunning fashion.

Prior to Tuesday evening’s brace, Rice had never scored directly from a free-kick in his senior career. However, the England international revealed post-match that striking from set-pieces is not beyond him, despite his lack of previous success.

“It’s always been in the locker,” Rice told reporters after the match. “I’ve hit the wall too many times or put it over the bar. Originally, we were planning to cross it, but I looked at the wall and saw where the keeper was positioned, and for the first one, I just thought, ‘Go for it’.”

He continued: “The second one – I just had the confidence and struck it. It probably won’t sink in yet because we’ve still got the second leg to play. I’m over the moon right now, but in a few years’ time, I think it’ll really hit me.”

Rice also spoke about the team’s mindset going into the encounter: “That was the message from the manager after the weekend – we had to believe we could come here and win. As a group, we were united, we were out there fighting for each other. We knew we had to score in the second half, and to get three is a real positive.”

Discussing the build-up to his first goal, he explained: “When the ball was placed, I noticed the space around the wall and looked at the keeper. That’s why we had three players at the back post initially – because we intended to deliver a cross. But Bukayo said, ‘If you feel it…’, and I just told him, ‘I’m taking it’, and hit it. It’s one of those moments.”

Mikel Merino added a third goal for Arsenal to cap off a dominant second-half performance, placing Mikel Arteta’s side firmly in control ahead of the return leg in Madrid.