"We knew we were going to win" - Arsenal star makes emphatic claim after knocking Real Madrid out with win at Santiago Bernabeu
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has revealed that his team was confident of winning against Real Madrid in their UEFA Champions League clash at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Gunners became the first team to defeat Los Blancos in each of their first two visits to their stadium after claiming a 2-1 win in Madrid on Wednesday.
Rice was the hero of the first leg, scoring two free kicks to help the Gunners pick up a 3-0 win at home. The midfielder had a different brief in the second leg and still ended up picking up the Man of the Match award after a composed performance in the middle of the park.
In a chat with TNT Sports after the game, the England international revealed that Mikel Arteta's side had the belief that they were going to win, even before the game. He pointed out that the first-leg performance and result gave them the confidence to push on, even if it meant having to suffer at the Bernabeu.
"It's just such a special night for this club. It's a historic night for this club. We have an objective in this competition. We want to play the best teams and we want to win this competition. There was a lot of talk coming here about them coming back because they've done it so many times before, but we had so much belief and confidence from that first leg that we had enough to come here and win the game.
"We knew we were going to suffer, but we knew we were going to win. We had it in our mind and then we'd done it in real life. So yeah, what a night for the club."
Real Madrid hardly managed to lay a glove on Arsenal all game as Arteta's side shown impressive discipline on and off the ball. Despite the hostile atmosphere, they ensured that their hosts did not register a single shot on target in the first half, providing the springboard for an upset of their own making.
Arsenal scored either side of a Vinicius Jr strike through Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli to see off Real Madrid. The Gunners will now face Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the semi-final later this month.
Arsenal extend impressive record against Real Madrid
Arsenal extended their impressive unbeaten record against Real Madrid, as they made it four games without defeat to the Spanish giants. The Gunners claimed a 2-1 win in their second meeting of this season to secure a 5-1 aggregate win over Carlo Ancelotti's side.
Despite an early penalty miss from Bukayo Saka, second half strikes from Saka and Gabriel Martinelli either side of a Vinicius Jr effort handed the Gunners the win. Arsenal have now won three of their four meetings with the 15-time UEFA Champions League winners, conceding just one goal.
The first meeting between the sides, in February 2006, was decided by a Thierry Henry goal at the Santiago Bernabeu before a goalless draw at Highbury in March. The Gunners then claimed a 3-0 win over Real Madrid at the Emirates last week before the win at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night.