Declan Rice will hope to be the hero once again as Arsenal prepare to face Real Madrid.
Though Mikel Merino also scored in the first leg, Rice stole the show against Real Madrid at the Emirates.
Even Prince William was blown away by Rice’s goals, as the Arsenal midfielder scored two direct free-kicks just 12 minutes apart.
At the Santiago Bernabeu, Mikel Arteta will be dreaming of more of the same, with the Gunners heading to Madrid with a three-goal lead.
What Declan Rice has been doing in training ahead of Real Madrid clash
Despite Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Madrid in the first leg, talk ahead of the second leg has been dominated by Los Blancos’ belief in a comeback.
Arteta responded to Jude Bellingham’s comeback cry by insisting that focus remains firmly on Arsenal’s desire to win the game on the night.
As well as responding to the England international, Arteta was asked about his own players, as a question on Rice’s free-kick taking ability was posed.
The Arsenal manager was asked if Rice had been practising free-kicks during training.
“He has,” Arteta responded, before calling on the 26-year-old to repeat the highs of last week.
“If he can create any more of those moments, that would be amazing.”
After stunning the Emirates with his remarkable brace, Rice is setting his sights on more of the same at the Bernabeu.
Jude Bellingham responds to Rice’s free-kick goals against Real Madrid
It wasn’t only in Arteta’s press conference that Rice’s set-piece heroics were discussed.
When Bellingham represented Real Madrid in front of the media, the 21-year-old admitted he’d ‘never seen’ Rice’s shooting ability from free-kicks before.
“The free-kicks were surprising,” Bellingham explained.
“I knew Declan could take set-pieces well, corners and stuff, but I’d never seen him do that. Fair play to him.”
The two England midfielders will be desperate to put their names up in lights, in what is a season-defining clash for both sides.
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