Ancelotti Blames Real Madrid’s Defeat To Arsenal On Declan Rice’s Record-Making Goals

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged that Declan Rice’s exceptional free-kick goals were pivotal in shaping the outcome of their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.

Declan Rice scored two direct free-kicks within a span of 13 minutes in the second half of the Champions League clash, propelling Arsenal towards a solid victory at the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Merino further solidified their lead with a well-placed finish 14 minutes before the end of the match as the Gunners beat the Spanish giants with a 3-0 scoreline.

Ancelotti recognized Arsenal’s performance, admitting they were clearly the superior team that evening. “The result clearly indicates that Arsenal played better than us,” he told Amazon Prime. “For the first 60 minutes, the game was evenly matched, but then they produced two outstanding free-kicks, changing the momentum entirely.”

He emphasized the challenge ahead for the second leg: “It will be a tough task. We need to regroup and focus on our strategy. In the final 30 minutes, we struggled mentally.”

On the other hand, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice made history with his two free-kick goals, contributing significantly to Arsenal’s 3-0 triumph over Real Madrid. This remarkable achievement makes Rice the first player to score two direct free-kicks in a Champions League knockout stage match, according to OptaJean.