Bukayo Saka's two-word message to Declan Rice seconds before turning Arsenal tie on its head

Bukayo Saka sent a last-second message of advice to Declan Rice just before the midfielder fired in his first free-kick against . Rice scored two brilliant set-pieces to put the Gunners in total control of their quarter-final clash against the giants.

They are the first direct free-kicks Rice has scored in his entire career up to this point. With the game goalless heading into the 58th minute, Rice bent his shot around the Madrid wall and into the net to put ahead.

Saka, making his first start since his return from a lengthy injury lay-off, had also been standing near the ball before Rice stepped up. The Englishman revealed that his team-mate had given him two words of advice just before he scored.

Rice had been planning to cross the set-piece in to one of his team-mates but instead elected to shoot after Saka told him to 'feel it'. The midfielder disclosed that after spotting the position of the wall and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, he chose to scrap his plan and shoot from more than 29 metres out.

"That's been the message from the manager since the weekend that we need to be convinced we can win this game. And as a group of players we were really convinced and we were out there as a team. In the second-half we knew we had to score so to score three was a real positive," he told Prime Video.

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"It's been in the locker and I've hit the wall too many times or it's gone over bar. Originally we was going to cross it and then I've just seen the wall and goalkeeper's position. I thought just go for it. Bukayo said to feel it and I see the outside of the wall and I just had the confidence.

"It's not going to hit me yet because there's another leg to go. I'm happy, I'm over the moon but in a few years time this will hit me. To come back in the time he [Saka] has done is incredible, he's unreal. We need to be ready for next week because it's the Bernabeu."

With 20 minutes to go Rice stepped up again and somehow managed to better his first strike. This time, he hit the ball across the wall, firing into the opposite top corner, with Madrid keeper Courtois left helplessly diving.

Rice was forced off through injury with 10 minutes to go, with Kieran Tierney replacing him. The England international was hailed for his man of the match performance by legend Alan Shearer.

"You thought the first one was impressive? Goodness me. The accuracy, the power, the bend and the control on it. Thibaut Courtois left a big gap because he thought he was going to go over the wall. It just sensational. Courtois is nowhere near it," he told Amazon Prime.

"It is absolutely incredible. If you take away Declan Rice's two goals his performance back to front has been so impressive - his tackling, his driving forward with the ball.

"What a position Arsenal have put themselves in now. They have been so, so impressive in this second half. They have done everything right. They have been sensational and they deserve to be in this position."

Mikel Merino added a third goal soon after, with Arsenal seeing out a 3-0 win. They will lead into the second leg at the Bernabeu next week.

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