Arsenal took a giant step towards reaching the semi-finals of this year’s Champions League courtesy of a resounding 3-0 victory over Real Madrid on Tuesday.
Both teams headed into the game on the back of disappointing domestic results last weekend. Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Everton, while Madrid fell to a 2-1 defeat against Valencia.
Kylian Mbappe had an early pop at goal just 30 seconds into the contest, but David Raya comfortably dealt with his effort.
Arsenal nearly took the lead after just five minutes when Antonio Rudiger cleared a seemingly harmless ball from Bukayo Saka onto Eduardo Camavinga and just past Thibaut Courtois’ left-hand post.
That kicked off a period of dominance for Arsenal, during which they kept Courtois busy on several occasions from both set pieces and open play.
Madrid ceded the vast majority of the ball possession to Arsenal. They set up to play on the counter as they had done at Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the previous rounds.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side had little luck fashioning a clear-cut opportunity until the half-hour mark when Jude Bellingham slipped Mbappe in behind, only for him to be thwarted by Raya for the second time.
Courtois needed to be at his best to deny Declan Rice and Gabriel Martinelli in quick succession as Arsenal looked to take the lead just before the break.
Madrid had the final attack of the half, with Camavinga firing over from long-range following a brief spell of possession for the visitors.
Mbappe hit the second half’s first attempt, which hit the side-netting after Jude Bellingham teed him up.
It was no surprise that Arsenal broke the deadlock via a dead ball as Declan Rice whipped in a stunning freekick 12 minutes into the second half after David Alaba’s foul on Bukayo Saka.
The home side came close to doubling their lead 10 minutes later. Excellent saves from Courtois and goalline clearances from Alaba and Jude Bellingham kept Madrid afloat.
The Gunners deservedly grabbed a second on the 70th-minute mark courtesy of yet another superb free kick from Rice, this time for a Camavinga foul on Saka.
Arsenal added a third through Merino in the 75th minute, putting them in pole position to progress to the semi-finals.
Madrid’s already near insurmountable task of a second-leg turnaround was made more difficult by Camavinga’s dismissal for a second bookable offence.
Los Blancos will first have to negotiate a league clash against Alaves before next week’s return leg, while Arsenal will welcome Brentford to the Emirates Stadium.
