Rice's stunning free kick double fires Arsenal to 3-0 win over Real Madrid

Arsenal's midfielder Declan Rice's two fantastic free kicks and a striker's finish from Mikel Merino secured a 3-0 victory over shocked holders Real Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final at The Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

The hosts had the better of the first half as Real began slowly, with Eduardo Camavinga almost conceding a calamitous own goal when he blocked Antonio Rudiger's clearance before Thomas Partey shot straight at goalkeeper Thibault Courtois.

Real, bidding for a record-extending 16th title in the competition, grew into the contest and threatened on the break, though their few opportunities came from Arsenal errors and the visitors looked disjointed throughout the contest.

Courtois was by far the busier keeper and produced a stunning double save, the first from a powerful Rice header, on the stroke of halftime.

There was no stopping Rice's opener, though, a fierce curling shot around the wall and beyond Courtois in the 58th minute for his first senior goal from a direct free kick.

"It's been in the locker, but I've hit the wall too many times or it's gone over the bar. Originally I was going to cross it and then I've just have seen the wall with the goalkeeper's position. I thought ... just go for it," Rice said.

Arsenal could have been 2-0 up shortly after but for more heroics from Courtois, who produced a diving stop from Gabriel Martinelli followed by another from makeshift striker Merino in between David Alaba's goal-line block.

Rice's second free kick was even better than the first, curled straight into the top corner in the 70th minute, to leave the 15-times European champions looking stunned.

Merino then coolly fired Myles Lewis-Skelly's pull-back into the bottom corner 15 minutes from time, following a pass from substitute Leandro Trossard, to give Arsenal a sizeable lead to take to Madrid next week.

The winners of the tie will face either Aston Villa or Paris Saint-Germain, who meet on Wednesday, in the semifinals.

Late Frattesi goal hands Inter 2-1 victory at stunned Bayern

Inter Milan scored an 88th minute winner through Davide Frattesi to snatch a 2-1 victory over shocked hosts Bayern Munich in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.

Frattesi tapped in from close range to stun the Bavarians, who had levelled three minutes earlier through substitute Thomas Muller, a player leaving the club at the end of the season after 25 years as Bayern did not offer him a new contract.

Inter's captain Lautaro Martinez had put the visitors in the driving seat after 38 minutes, drilling the ball into the net from a superb Marcus Thuram backheel after Bayern had earlier hit the post through Harry Kane.

The treble-chasing Italians, who have conceded three goals in their 11 Champions League games so far this season, host Bayern in the return leg on April 16.

"Scoring in the 88th minute like that shows how much we wanted to keep playing our football and using the principles we've been relying on for almost four years now," said Inter's coach Simone Inzaghi.

The winners of the quarterfinals will face either Borussia Dortmund or Barcelona, who play their first leg on Wednesday.