Rice's stunning free-kick brace helps Arsenal smash Real Madrid

Arsenal rocked Real Madrid with a sublime three-punch combo Tuesday to take a commanding 3-0 lead into next week's Champions League quarterfinal second leg.

Declan Rice scored two magnificent free-kicks - incredibly, the first direct free-kicks he's scored in his professional career - and makeshift forward Mikel Merino netted an impressive one-touch shot from the edge of the area for a memorable night in north London.

And despite Arsenal's remarkable three-goal outburst in the second half, Thibaut Courtois may have been Real Madrid's best player. He made five excellent saves over the opening leg and was only breached by finishes of the highest quality. David Alaba and Jude Bellingham also prevented two Arsenal goals with goal-line clearances.

Rice bent his first free-kick around Real Madrid's wall in superb style, powering in a curling effort from over 25 yards in the 58th minute.

Then, incredibly, Rice did it again - and it was arguably better than his first. The angle seemed more appealing for left-footed playmaker Martin Odegaard, who was also stood over the free-kick, but Rice strode toward the ball again and unleashed a perfect, swerving drive into the top corner.

"Declan's been very determined because we have said in the last few months that we have not scored a direct free-kick in three-and-half years," Mikel Arteta said after the match, according to Agence France-Presse.

"If there's a player who can do it, how clean he strikes it, it's Declan. But you have to execute it at the highest level. And against one of the best keepers in the world as well. It's amazing."

Rice is now the first player to score two direct free-kicks in a Champions League knockout stage match.

Arsenal's remarkable evening became scarcely believable just five minutes later. Myles Lewis-Skelly slid a pass across the edge of Real Madrid's 18-yard box and Merino, the backup midfielder moonlighting as a center-forward amid a rash of Arsenal injuries, confidently stabbed a first-time shot into the bottom corner.

"We were talking in the dressing room about keeping the pace and tempo, obviously with the help of the crowd on our side. The second half was amazing, we played with full gas from the side," Merino told Amazon Prime, according to Agence France-Presse.

"When this side plays like that, the crowd go with us."

Real Madrid, the winners of a record 15 Champions League crowns, had little response to Arsenal's onslaught. Rather than come roaring back in true Real Madrid style, they left with a whimper as Eduardo Camavinga was shown a second yellow card in the closing stages for kicking the ball away.

"We were not good," Real Madrid's Lucas Vazquez admitted to Movistar post-match, according to Agence France-Presse. "I think Arsenal had a great game, they made chances, they knew how to press us and we couldn't play our game."

With such a one-sided win over Champions League royalty, some Arsenal fans will now believe their team can win Europe's top prize for the first time in its history.