‘He was saying…’ Declan Rice ignored Martin Odegaard instruction that could’ve stopped Arsenal free-kick goals

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Martin Odegaard almost stopped Declan Rice from scoring one of his free kicks against Real Madrid.

Mikel Arteta will be putting Rice on free-kick duty for the foreseeable future after Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Real Madrid.

Rice scored two free kicks to put the tie in the Gunners’ hands ahead of the Champions League quarter-final second-leg at the Bernabeu.

The midfielder is the talk of world football after his stellar display against Los Blancos; however, the magic almost didn’t happen for the 26-year-old.

• READ MORE: Five things learned from Arsenal’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid as Declan Rice creates Arsenal history with the help of Nicolas Jover

What Martin Odegaard said to Declan Rice before taking his free kick

For the first time in his senior career, Rice scored a free kick, with the feeling so good that he completed the feat twice.

Martin Odegaard and Rice stood over the ball, with the duo undergoing discussions before the kick was taken. 

Speaking to Amazon Prime Video after the game, Rice revealed the conversation that he had with Odegaard, a chat that could’ve seen the game end in an entirely different outcome.

“He was saying to cross,” Rice explained when detailing his conversation with the captain.

“There he was saying ‘let’s cross back post’. I turned to Bukayo and said, ‘It doesn’t make sense to cross’. The line was too high, and to chip the ball like that.”

Rice had doubts over Odegaard’s instruction, and thankfully, to the joy of 60,000 people in the Emirates, the Englishman took a shot on goal.

Rice makes Champions League history against Real Madrid

The free-kick double will go down in Arsenal history regardless of the outcome of the tie, but it will also go down in Champions League history. 

Rice became the first player to ever score two direct free kicks in a Champions League knockout match, a remarkable yet slightly unsurprising statistic. 

What made the two goals all the more mesmerising was the fact that they were scored only 12 minutes apart, sending the Emirates into pandemonium.

Arsenal are thankful that Rice snubbed Odegaard’s recommendation to trust in his own ball-striking ability, with a conversation surely to be had in the dressing room on the matter.