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Jesse Lingard commented on Arsenal star Declan Rice's Instagram post after they beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg. The Gunners won on an overall 5-1 aggregate on Wednesday, April 16, at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Declan Rice was exceptional for Arsenal in both legs of the UCL quarter-finals. In their 3-0 win in the first leg at home (April 8), Rice scored two consecutive free kicks against Real Madrid. He was also named Man of the Match in the game. In their 2-1 win in the second leg, Rice did not score but was crucial for the Gunners' victory. He made two key passes, three clearances, and five interceptions in 90 minutes of gameplay. The Englishman was once again named Man of the Match.
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After their 2-1 win in the UCL quarter-final second leg, Declan Rice took to Instagram to share an image of himself with the Player of the Match trophy. In the caption, he indicated that he won the award in both legs and wrote:
"Back2Back."
In the comments, former Manchester United star Jesse Lingard praised Rice's performance in the game. He wrote:
"Balled out my boy❤️🔥"
Arsenal will next face Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. This marks the first time the North London side has qualified for the UCL semi-finals since the 2008-09 season. It is also their overall third time in this stage after the 2005-06 and 2008-09 seasons. They have yet to win the competition so far.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid's elimination in the quarter-final marks the first time they were knocked out of the competition at this stage since 2004 against Monaco.
Note: All in-game statistics were taken from SofaScore and are subject to change as per the website's prerogative.
Mikel Arteta claims Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti wanted Arsenal to win the Champions League
In the post-match press conference, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta revealed what Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti told him after the quarter-final second leg. After Los Blancos' elimination from the competition, Ancelotti hoped for the Gunners to win their first UCL this season. Arteta said (via Madrid Xtra):
"Ancelotti told me that he hopes Arsenal win the UCL."
The Gunners must fully focus on the Champions League, given there's little hope for them to win the Premier League. Liverpool are the table leaders with 76 points from 32 games, while the North London side is 13 points behind at 63 points from 32 games.
They could create history if they can win the tournament this season. However, PSG are in stupendous form and would be a tough nut to crack in the semi-finals for Mikel Arteta. If they qualify, the winners of the Barcelona vs Inter Milan semi-final tie will be facing them in the finals.
