soccer - players.bio

Arsenal stun Real Madrid as Rice delivers free-kick masterclass

LONDON: Arsenal stormed to a stunning 3-0 win over Champions League holders Real Madrid as Declan Rice’s free-kick masterclass left the Gunners within touching distance of a place in the semifinals. Rice scored two majestic free-kicks in the second half of the quarter-final first leg at the Emirates Stadium. Mikel Merino added Arsenal’s third goal before Real’s Eduardo Camavinga was sent off for kicking the ball away in the closing minutes to leave the Spanish giants in disarray. The brilliance of Rice’s brace cannot be understated, with even Real keeper Thibaut Courtois — usually so inspired on Champions League nights — unable to get anywhere near the England midfielder’s thunderbolts. Incredibly, Rice had never scored a free-kick in his career before the first of his missiles hit the back of the Real net. It was no more than Arsenal deserved for a mature performance that exposed injury-hit Real in ruthless style. Mikel Arteta’s men will travel to the Bernabeu for the second leg on April 16 as firm favorites to advance to a semifinal tie against Paris Saint-Germain or Aston Villa, who meet in their quarter-final first leg on Wednesday. The Gunners have not reached the Champions League semifinals since 2009, but that target is now within their grasp after an evening that will go down as one of the most memorable in the club’s storied history. Arteta had labelled the clash with Real as the “biggest night” of his career as he urged his players to write their own history by winning Arsenal’s first Champions League crown. They rose to the challenge so successfully that even Arteta might have been surprised. Arsenal trail Premier League leaders Liverpool by 11 points and look destined to finish as runners-up for a third

Late Frattesi strike gives Inter edge over Bayern in Champions League

MUNICH, Germany: An 88th-minute Davide Frattesi goal took Inter Milan to a 2-1 win at Bayern Munich on Tuesday, giving the Italians the edge after the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. Undermanned Bayern, nursing a bulging casualty ward, set the tone in the first half-hour, with Michael Olize and Harry Kane narrowly failing to break through. Inter opened the scoring on the 38-minute mark when Marcus Thuram’s clever back-heel found Lautaro Martinez who blasted home. The Italians maintained control until Bayern veteran Thomas Mueller, days after announcing a summer departure after 25 years at the club, scored the equalizer with a typical poacher’s finish with five minutes remaining. Not content to be spectators to a Bayern fairytale ending, Inter broke on the counter just three minutes later, with Carlos Augusto finding Frattesi, who scored Inter’s second. Inter, defeated in the final by Manchester City two seasons ago, have their noses in front in their bid to make the last four of the competition. The late goal consigned Bayern to their first home defeat in the Champions League since 2021, a run of 22 matches. Semi-finalists last season, Bayern’s preparation for the game was hampered by an injury crisis.