Declan Rice reveals he IGNORED Martin Odegaard’s advice before his first free-kick against Real Madrid – as Gunners hero says Bukayo Saka’s SEVEN WORD message REALLY inspired him!

Declan Rice, who scored two incredible free kicks as Arsenal thrashed Real Madrid at the Emirates, said that he had “the best feeling in the world.”

In this Champions League quarterfinal first-leg match, Rice skillfully curled his set-piece around the opposition’s defensive wall and past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in minute 58 following a goalless first half.

The England player then scored another goal with a free kick twelve minutes later, this time into the top-right corner.

During his over 350-game career, Rice has never scored from a direct free-kick.

Later, Mikel Merino scored a third goal to give the Gunners a three-goal lead going into the second leg at the Bernabeu on Wednesday. Their final realistic chance to win a trophy this season is to advance to the competition’s semi-finals for the first time since 2009.

Rice remarked, “I don’t know if it will ever sink in.” I wanted both (free kicks), and I’m a little stunned by the confidence.

“It’s the greatest feeling in the world, one of those moments.”

“Martin (Odegaard) was saying to cross, but I said it doesn’t make sense and to chip it like that,” he stated in reference to the initial free-kick. (Set-piece coach Nicolas) Jover is urging me to cross, but it didn’t make sense. We drill them constantly.

“Go for it if you feel it,” advised Bukayo (Saka). I suggested I could bend it after glancing at the wall and keeper, and that’s exactly what happened.

“It’s far out, you don’t even realize,” he said after his second strike. Although we intended to touch and set it, Kylian Mbappe was standing too close.

“I doubt I will realize what I did to score twice.”

Next week, the England player plans to assault the Spanish powerhouses in a similar manner.

“We are going to attack and want to be in the semis; we are not going back to defend,” he continued.

“We want to win, but we still have games left to play, so we’ll take it one at a time.”

After complimenting Rice’s two goals, Mikel Arteta cautioned that Arsenal still had more to display in the locker room.

He stated: “We haven’t scored a direct free kick since Burnley away in 2021, and he (Rice) has never scored a free-kick in his career.” What are the chances?

“We need to demonstrate that we can repeat those two instances of individual quality next week.”

We’re halfway through the tie. They were moments of magic. We can offer much more.

Jude Bellingham asserted that his Real Madrid team is “still alive” despite saying they were fortunate to only give up three goals.

“We were nowhere near it,” he claimed. We were fortunate to escape with three goals, but to be honest, they could have had a lot more. Two of the goals are excellent free kicks.

However, we are clinging to the second leg, which will require something incredibly unique. We still have ninety minutes, and we are still alive.