Real Madrid star, Jude Bellingham has stressed that he was surprised by Declan Rice’s free-kick goals against his team in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals first-leg.
Recall that Arsenal delivered a remarkable performance during the UEFA Champions League, securing a 3-0 victory over their Spanish rivals at the Emirates Stadium and heading into the second leg with confidence.
Before the first-leg tie, Rice had not recorded any goals from free kicks. However, he surprised many by opening the scoring with a well-placed free kick around the wall in the 58th minute. Just 12 minutes later, he scored again, lifting the ball into the top corner, which caught the attention of both fans and teammates alike.
Bellingham, who plays alongside Rice for the England national team, acknowledged the unexpected nature of his teammate’s performance.
“Arsenal surprised us? Declan Rice’s free-kicks were surprising, I’ve not seen him do that before (laughs). So fair play to him,” Bellingham told reporters ahead of the Champions League second leg tie scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. tonight, April 16.
Rice and Bellingham have teamed up 32 times in various competitions for The Three Lions. This season, Rice has made an impressive 44 appearances, contributing seven goals and nine assists.
Meanwhile, former Chelsea winger Joe Cole has expressed strong confidence in Paris Saint-Germain’s prospects of winning the prestigious trophy this season. Cole believes the team is progressing well and pointed to their recent achievement of reaching the semi-finals.
PSG secured their spot in the last four by edging out Aston Villa with a 5-4 aggregate scoreline. They won the first leg 3-1 in Paris but faced a challenging second leg, losing 3-2 at Villa Park.
Now, they are set to face either Arsenal or Real Madrid in the semi-finals, while Barcelona, following their victory over Dortmund, will match up against Inter Milan or Bayern Munich.
Speaking on TNT Sports, Cole said: “We all remember the PSG side of a few years ago. They were winning league titles, but success in a tournament like this requires a different approach. Credit to the people at PSG for recognizing the need for change. They are moving in a positive direction, and I genuinely believe they have a real chance of winning it. I’m doubling down on that.”
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