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Arsenal vs Real Madrid Player Ratings (3-0): Free-Kick Hero Declan Rice Scores 9.5, Vinicius Junior Only 4

Sushan Chakraborty Written by Sports EditorSushan Chakraborty
Updated –
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Declan Rice Was One of the Best Performers of 2024-25 Champions League Quarter-Finals

Premier League heavyweights Arsenal claimed a massive 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, 8 April.

After a jittery first half, where both teams lacked composure, the Gunners came out all guns blazing in the second 45. They scored three goals against lofty rivals in a whirlwind 17 minutes, with Declan Rice leading the charge with two out-of-this-world free-kicks.

Declan Rice Stuns in Arsenal vs Real Madrid UCL Clash

David Alaba brought Bukayo Saka down about 30 yards away from the Real Madrid goal, giving away a free-kick. Rice, who had not scored from a direct free-kick in any of his 338 games for West Ham and Arsenal, dispatched a sensational effort, taking the ball around the wall, past a diving Thibaut Courtois, and into the back of the net. The Englishman hit the ball with ferocity, giving the goalkeeper no chance whatsoever.

Twelve minutes later, Arsenal won another free-kick, and once again, Rice sent the ball into the back of the net, becoming the first player to score two direct free kicks in a Champions League knockout game.

The former West Ham United midfielder’s second free-kick was even better than the first, as he curled his piledriver of an effort right into the top-right corner. The ball grazed the inside of the side-netting on its way in, completely taking Courtois out of the equation.

Rice’s second free-kick took the wind out of Real Madrid’s sails, allowing Arsenal to score their third. Just five minutes after Rice’s belter, Myles Lewis-Skelly danced his way into the Real Madrid box and laid it off for Mikel Merino, who applied a beautiful first-time finish to make it 3-0 at the Emirates.

A night to celebrate for Londoners and a nightmare for the All-Whites. Take a look at the complete Arsenal vs Real Madrid player ratings below:

Arsenal vs Real Madrid Player Ratings (3-0): Champions League Quarter-Finals First Leg

Arsenal Player Ratings vs Real Madrid

David Raya (7/10):

The Arsenal goalkeeper did not have to do too much against Real Madrid. He did make four saves but faced only an xGOT of 0.24. He also completed 24 passes and delivered two accurate long balls.

Jurrien Timber (7.5/10):

The right-back kept a lid on the effervescent Vinicius Junior, not allowing him to threaten the Arsenal goal. He completed 48 passes with 94% accuracy, completed two dribbles, won three tackles, and came out on top in a game-high eight duels.

William Saliba (7/10):

The Arsenal centre-back commanded the backline with authority. He played 80 successful passes, made six recoveries, and cleared the ball four times. He, however, was surprisingly weak in aerial duels, losing three of four.

Jakub Kiwior (6.5/10):

Jakub Kiwior looked a bit wobbly at times, but Real Madrid could not benefit from it. He ended the game with four recoveries, six passes into the final third, and 57 passes with 93% accuracy.

Myles Lewis-Skelly (8/10):

Only 18 years of age, Myles Lewis-Skelly delivered a massive performance against the reigning European champions. In addition to assisting Mikel Merino, he created two chances and won two tackles.

Martin Odegaard (6.5/10):

Playing against his former club, Martin Odegaard could not make much of an impact. He lost five of six ground duels, could not create a chance, and did not register a shot.

Thomas Partey (7.5/10):

Arsenal anchor Thomas Partey was sublime against the All-Whites. He bossed the game in the middle, not allowing Luka Modric and Co. to settle. He also had two shots, both of which landed on target.

Declan Rice (9.5/10):

Declan Rice played the game of his life on Tuesday. In addition to scoring two unstoppable free-kicks, Rice played a crucial part in Arsenal’s third goal. The Englishman drove the ball forward with vigour, prompting the Gunners to penetrate the box, before laying it off out wide to Leandro Trossard. World-class.

Bukayo Saka (7/10):

Having recently returned from injury, Bukayo Saka did not play his best game against Real Madrid. However, he managed to make himself useful, creating a big chance, winning three duels, and drawing three fouls.

Mikel Merino (7.5/10):

Arsenal’s makeshift striker, Mikel Merino, had the least touches (30) of any outfield player on Tuesday, but he always looked menacing whenever in possession. Not only did he score a superb goal, but he also created a chance and won three ground duels.

Gabriel Martielli (7/10):

The Brazilian was not in red-hot form, but he kept the Madrid defenders on their toes. Solid shift.

Substitutes

Leandro Trossard (74′) (6.5/10): He laid the ball off to Myles Lewis-Skelly, leading to Arsenal’s third goal.

Kieran Tierney (80′) and Ben White (90′): Not much of an impact.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs Arsenal

Thibaut Courtois (8/10):

He was the only reason why Real Madrid did not return with a worse scoreline. He made five saves, with a pair of double saves on either side of half-time.

Federico Valverde (6.5/10):

Put in a massive shift as usual and delivered seven accurate long balls. Nothing more to add about the makeshift right-back’s performance.

Raul Asencio (6/10):

The 22-year-old was confident on the ball, but his distribution (misplaced four long balls) was off.

Antonio Rudiger (5.5/10):

The ever-reliable Antonio Rudiger was well below his best on Tuesday. He lost Mikel Merino for the third goal, allowing the Spaniard to apply the finish.

David Alaba (5.5/10):

Arsenal have been sensational from set-pieces this season, so it was a blunder for David Alaba to bring Bukayo Saka down 30 yards away from goal. Declan Rice scored a worldie to punish Alaba’s team. The Austrian also did not provide anything up top.

Rodrygo (6/10):

The Brazilian made some good runs and put in a solid defensive shift but never looked like hurting the Gunners.

Luka Modric (6.5/10):

The oldest player on the pitch, Luka Modric, created a chance, completed 51 passes with 93% accuracy, and made two interceptions. Arguably Real Madrid’s second-best player.

Eduardo Camavinga (6/10):

Eduardo Camavinga was good defensively, but he fouled Bukayo Saka, leading to Arsenal’s second free-kick goal. Also got a double yellow towards the end of the game.

Jude Bellingham (6.5/10):

Another tireless shift from the Brit, but he did not have anything to show for it. Created two chances and made three recoveries.

Kylian Mbappe (6.5/10):

The Frenchman looked threatening, but his finishing left a lot to be desired. He also created a couple of chances and completed four dribbles.

Vinicius Junior (4/10):

The most disappointing Real Madrid player on the night, Vinicius Junior, could not lodge even a single effort on target. He failed to pull off any of his three dribbles and could not create a single goal-scoring opportunity.

Substitutes

Lucas Vazquez (71′) (6/10): The right-back worked hard as usual but could not trouble the Gunners.

Fran Garcia (79′) and Brahim Diaz (85′): No impact.

Sushan Chakraborty Written by Sports EditorSushan Chakraborty
Sushan Chakraborty has been writing professionally since debuting with 90min in 2017. He has since typed out thousands of articles, learning the trade from some of the smartest minds in the business. Now at Sportscasting, he is striving to whip up his best articles yet.
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