“The brief message Saka gave Rice before his debut free-kick that made all the difference.”

Declan Rice has shared the seven-word encouragement he received from Arsenal teammate Bukayo Saka just before scoring his first free-kick in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid.

Rice, 26, was a standout performer as Arsenal secured a dominant victory over Real Madrid at the Emirates Stadium.

The midfielder opened the scoring in the 58th minute with a beautifully struck curling free-kick that left goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois with no chance. Just 12 minutes later, he followed it up with a second stunning set-piece goal, doubling Arsenal’s lead before Mikel Merino added a third soon after.

Despite set-piece specialist Nicolas Jover being part of Mikel Arteta’s coaching staff, Rice admitted to ignoring Jover’s guidance.

Speaking to Prime Video post-match, Rice said: “I don’t know if it will ever sink in. I felt confident for both free-kicks, and honestly, I’m a bit lost for words.”

He continued: “Martin [Odegaard] wanted me to cross it, but it didn’t make sense to me. We practice these all the time. Jover also told me to cross, but it didn’t feel right.”

Then came the key moment. “Bukayo [Saka] said, ‘If you feel it, go for it,’” Rice revealed. “I looked at the wall, looked at the keeper, and believed I could curl it in—and that’s exactly what happened.”

Rice also explained what led to his second goal: “We planned to do a touch and set, but Mbappe was standing too close. He was right in the middle, so I just took the shot. I practice them a lot, and after the first one went in, I had the confidence to try again.”

Real Madrid now face a tough challenge in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, trailing by three goals. Even manager Carlo Ancelotti admitted the comeback looks unlikely.

“The chances are slim, but we’ll give it a shot,” Ancelotti said. “After tonight, it feels nearly impossible, but football is unpredictable. No one expected two free-kick goals from Arsenal—but anything can happen. Stranger things have occurred at the Bernabéu.”