Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid: Champions League quarter-final – as it happened (2025)

That’s all for tonight. Thanks for your company – see you soon.

We were nowhere near it and Arsenal were really good. To be honest they could have had way more and we’re lucky to get away with 3-0. There’s a second leg and that’s what we’re holding on. But we’ll need something unbelievably special – something crazy really. But if there’s one place where crazy things can happen, it’s at our house. There’s loads of time left.

In these games you need to create more. Very rarely do you come to a place like this and have only one chance, take it and go through. We got to the final third loads of times but we didn’t do enough with the ball to threaten.

We’ve still got 90 minutes left. Anything can happen at the Bernabeu. Anything.

Beautiful. I’m so happy, so proud of the team. The atmosphere was incredible. I’ve never seen the stadium like this.

[Beaming as he talks about Declan Rice’s goals] That’s the beauty of whoever invented this sport. He has never scored a free-kick, we haven’t scored one since September 2021; tonight we scored two in 12 minutes. What he’s done is incredible. Dec strikes the ball so cleanly but then you have to do it at the highest level against one of the best keepers in the world. Amazing.

At half-time we told the players to simplify the game. We were doing things very well but at the end we were lacking the final connection, the simplicity to find the next pass. We managed to do that in the second half.

[On Bukayo Saka] He raises the level of the team. There is a fear factor every time he’s on the ball and he generates more space for the rest of the team. He came off but he’s fine – it was just a kick.

A bit more from Declan Rice, who is currently occupying cloud No9

[On the second goal] I’ve not seen this yet, everyone’s saying it’s better. [‘By far’ interjects Clarence Seedorf.]

[Rice watches the replay] It looks far out… You don’t even realise. At first I was gonna go over the wall but I practice going to the keeper’s side a lot and I just went with it. After the first one I just had the confidence: if it goes over the bar, it goes over the bar.

We want to win this competition, of course. We have another leg to go in this round and we have to take it one game at a time. I won’t be looking too far ahead.

[Seedorf: ‘One bit of advice, do look ahead. Visualise it.’]

All my career I’ve had people telling me to shoot more and that I need to create more stuff. There was one in the first half – I stopped my run and if I kept going I’d have had a tap-in. It’s these little things, having the mindset of wanting to score goals. Sometimes I’m on the edge of the box and I’m getting pressed and I feel like I can’t quite shift it quickly enough to get a shot off. I do have the ability to do it. It’s a confidence thing, you know. I need to keep reminding myself that I can do it.

I know I can score more goals. It’s about demanding more of myself and having the courage to keep doing it.

[On Bukayo Saka] He’s worked his socks off for three months. He got back really fast, he’s incredible.

More from Declan Rice, the Alan Suddick des nos jours

[Beaming from ear to ear] I don’t know if this will ever sink in to be honest. I’ve just turned my phone on, it’s gone crazy! As you can see I’m a bit speechless, I’m just so happy. It was a big night for us.

The manager just said to us: even though we’re 3-0 up, the individual quality they have is scary. And the Bernabeu’s the Bernabeu: on Champions League nights, special things happen for them. We’re not going there to defend, we want to attack, we want to be in the Champions League semi-final. We’re looking forward to it already.

[Any of those messages from David Beckham?] I’m not lucky enough to have his number!

[On the first goal] Originally I was gonna reverse-cross it but the line was too high. It didn’t make sense to cross it. I saw they had a four-man wall and there was a gap. Bukayo said, ‘If you feel it, go for it…’ and I thought, ‘You know what…’

Then I just hit it!

As soon as it went in… it’s one of those moments. You can’t explain it, it’s the best feeling in the world when you score.

Mikel Merino’s goal was the worst of the night. And it was bloody superb. I didn’t do justice to the quality of the finish, the way he hit it with just enough spin to take it inside the near post. Apparently he has now scored more goals against Real (4) than any other club.

Here’s David Hytner’s report

Here’s some reaction from Arsenal’s goalscorers.

Declan Rice

The message from the manager was that we had to be super-convinced we could win this game, and we were.

[On his free-kicks] It’s been in the locker! It’s hit the wall too many times or gone over the bar. Originally we were gonna cross it but I saw the wall and the goalkeeper’s position so I just went for it. Then with the second one I just had the confidence. Look, there’s another leg to go – I’m excited, I’m happy, I’m over the moon; I don’t want to be all cliched. I think in a few years’ time it’ll hit me that what I’ve done tonight is really special.

[On Bukayo Saka] He’s unreal. He’s the top guy. Look, we need to be ready for next week. We know how hard it is to play at the Bernabeu.

Mikel Merino

At half-time we talked about keeping the tempo high, especially with the crowd on our side. The second half was amazing.

This guy [Rice] has one of the best shooting abilities I’ve seen in my career. I’m not surprised, maybe you are, but hopefully more will come in the future.

“All that and no Mick Quinn,” says Kári Tulinius. “If Arsenal play like that against every opponent, they might just get to Munich in May. That said, you can’t count on Declan Rice to score two worldies, the last time he tried that second free kick he crashed it into Enzo Fernandez’ posterior.”

Talking of Munich, they’ve had a bad one.

Arsenal are favourites to reach the semi-final after a flabbergasting victory at the Emirates. After a tense first half, they blew Real Madrid away in the second. Declan Rice scored a majestic free-kick, the first of his 400-game career – then added an even better one 12 minutes later. Mikel Merino’s superb finish made it three, and a shell-shocked Real never really looked like pulling one back.

Its not a done deal, not when the second leg is at the Bernabeu, but this result is beyond Arsenal’s wildest ones. Two-nil, maybe. Three-nil? Yeah, nice one.

NFT.

90+4 min Camavinga kicks the ball away in frustration and is given a second yellow card. I suppose he was going to miss the second leg anyway.

90+4 min Real look frantic and desperate; they just haven’t recovered from that stunning three-goal burst.

90+1 min Stephen Bradfield got there before me. “One wouldn’t wish to put a damper on this Rob but some of us of a certain age can remember Derby County thrashing Real - who included Netzer and Breitner - 4-1 in October 1975 only to lose second leg 5-1.”

Gunter Netzer you say?

90 min: Arsenal substitution Ben White comes on for Jurrien Timber, who has cramp. There will be four minutes of added time.

89 min “As an Arsenal fan I feel I should stress that a team coming back from losing a Champions League away leg 3-0 is very much precedented,” says Mark Harrison. “This doesn’t feel like it’s over yet!”

Haha. You’re right – I’d forgotten that they beat Derby 5-1 after losing the first leg 4-1.

88 min Real had a terrific spell around the 35-minute mark. Since then they’ve had no sustained pressure and right now Arsenal look comfortable. Carlo Ancelotti’s left eyebrow is elevated even more than usual, at least a 40-degree angle I reckon.

86 min Arsenal have had greater European nights – the finals of 1970 and 1994, the win in Juventus in 1980 – but this is surely their best in north London, certainly at the Emirates.

85 min: Real substitution Brahim Diaz for Rodrygo.

83 min Real are hunting desperately for a goal. You wouldn’t write them off, even at 3-0 down, but they would need an unprecedented act of escapology.

81 min Before tonight, Declan Rice had never scored a direct free-kick in his professional career. That’s bonkers.

80 min: Arsenal substitution A weary Declan Rice is replaced by Kieran Tierney. He’s able to walk off so if there is an injury it hopefully isn’t too bad.

79 min: Real substitution Fran Garcia comes on for David Alaba, who had a pretty torrid night against Saka.

The goal stands! There was a pass from Rice to Trossard in the build-up that looked tight for offside, but the goal has been given.

Arsenal are 3-0 up against Real Madrid! Lewis-Skelly zipped infield from the left, as he has all night, and played a short square pass to Merino on the edge of the area. He whipped a superb shot on the turn that beat Courtois low to his right. The placement was perfect and Merino’s shot had the element of surprise as well; it’s such a good finish. And it’s the worst goal of the night!

Hang on, this might be offside.

What the hell is happening here?

74 min: Arsenal substitution Leandro Trossard replaces the magnificent Bukayo Saka. He’s limping slightly but doesn’t look particularly worried; it’s probably just soreness after being fouled all night.

73 min A word too for Bukayo Saka, who was fouled for both goals. Arsenal’s giants have stood up tonight, and then some.

72 min: Real substitution Lucas Vazquez on for Luka Modric.

Declan Rice has scored another monstrous free-kick! This was even better than the first. He flashed it over the wall and straight into the top corner as Courtois dived in vain to his left.

Courtois left a gap on that side, thinking Rice would go to the near post, but a 40-man wall wouldn’t have stopped that. Two utterly, utterly brilliant free-kicks. Bend it like Declan.

I CANNOT SPAKE!

69 min Camavinga was booked for that foul, which means he’ll miss the second leg. Rice is over the free-kick, which this time is to the left of centre.

68 min Arsenal come again and Saka is fouled 25 yards from goal by Camavinga. This is pulsating stuff.

68 min: Off the line again! The resulting corner is half cleared to Rice, whose snapshot from 15 yards beats the diving Courtois and is kicked off the line by Bellingham!

67 min: Triple chance for Arsenal! Lewis-Skelly pokes a short pass through to Martinelli, whose fierce shot across goal is beaten away by Courtois. Merino’s adroit follow-up is blocked on the line superbly by Alaba, then another Merino effort is punched dramatically over the bar by Courtois.

67 min “Arsenal may have served up a steaming helping of Rice,” says Peter Oh, “but this only means that Real Madrid will answer with a stunning paella!”

66 min Rice can’t quite sort his feet out after another excellent run into the area. At the moment Arsenal look the likelier scorers.

65 min Real will still be favourites to go through if it ends 1-0, but 2-0 is a different story. Or, to put it another way, this tie is poised as beautifully as one of Adebisi’s hats.

63 min Saka’s corner is claimed with decisive authority by Courtois. He’s a class act, which is another reason Rice’s free-kick was so good. Even Courtois couldn’t lay a glove on it.

62 min Saka – starting his first game since mid-December, lest we forget – runs at Alaba to win another corner.

61 min Bellingham meets Modric’s corner with a speculative scorpion kick that goes straight into the arms of Raya. I think it was a scorpion kick anyway; either way it was a comfortable save.

60 min Vinicius runs at Tim-berrrrrrrrrrrrrr to win a corner. Everyone is still taking in that free-kick from Declan Rice; it was nigh-on perfect.

Declan Rice has scored a marvellous free-kick! It was slightly to the right of centre, apparently more suited to the left-footed Saka, but Rice smacked it round the wall with just enough curl to take the ball a couple of centimetres inside the near post. Courtois flew to his left but couldn’t get near it. Honestly, that is a sensational free-kick.

Pick that effer out!