Declan Rice produced two stunning free-kicks that will live long in the memory as Arsenal beat Real Madrid 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium, resulting in a telling reaction from captain Martin Odegaard
Arsenal fans have gone wild after spotting Martin Odegaard’s reaction to Declan Rice’s second free-kick goal. Rice shell-shocked reigning European champions Real Madrid during Tuesday night’s Champions League quarter-final first leg clash at the Emirates Stadium by scoring two otherworldly free-kicks.
The £100million midfielder gave the Gunners the lead in the 58th minute, bending a free-kick from 30 yards around the wall and past Thibaut Courtois in goal, marking the first direct free-kick goal in his senior career of over 400 matches.
Just 12 minutes later, before the raucous N5 crowd had been able to process what had just happened, Rice scored another stunning free-kick, this time five yards further forward and from the left of the goal.
The second strike was an even more marvellous spectacle to behold as it rocketed into the top right hand corner of the net, where Courtois was standing.
Having become the first player in history to score two free-kicks in a Champions League knockout match, Rice and his ecstatic team-mates raced to celebrate in front of the fans by the corner flag.
Yet, captain Odegaard did not join them. Footage showed the playmaker - who had the best view of the house, standing over the free-kick alongside Rice - not move, but simply hold his head in disbelief at what he had just seen.
The Gunners faithful could relate to the Norwegian’s reaction, taking to social media to comment on a clip showing Rice’s sumptuous second goal. One X user wrote: “That is off the charts good… Odegaard putting his hands to his head in disbelief says it all.”
Another Arsenal supporter wrote: "This was exactly how I felt watching that second goal go in,” while a third commented: “Unreal! Odegaard was all of us.”
Others chimed in by saying: “I don't blame him. It was beautiful,” and: “I was in disbelief too.”
Odegaard, who often takes Arsenal’s free-kicks, without as much success, had urged the England international to cross the ball instead of shooting prior to his first attempt, as instructed by set-piece coach Nicolas Jover from the touchline.
Rice revealed post-game that he ignored his skipper’s instructions to devastating effect, saying: “He was telling me to cross, ‘we’re going to cross to the back post’. I said to Bukayo [Saka] ‘it doesn’t make sense to cross’, the line was too high and to chip the ball like that is hard.”