Hello and welcome to the game football podcast from The Times. In modern football, so much is made of tactics, teamwork, fitness and finances, but sometimes you just need a brilliant footballer to whack a free kick into the top corner and all is right in the world. And if you're really lucky, it happens twice in the same game.

On today's show, we'll be discussing those two remarkable goals by Declan Rice,

and as Arsenal beat Rail Madrid, asking, are they already through to the semi-finals?

We'll also chat about some other fantastic goals, as Aslan Villa have a difficult night in Paris,

and we'll take a quick look at Rafina as he equals

Leonel Messi's Barcelona record for goal involvement in a Champions League campaign.

I'm Tom Clark and joining me today we have the Chief Correspondent for the Times and Sunday

Times, Martin Samuel, the football correspondent for the Sunday Times, Jonathan Northcroft

and the former football attorney journalist Gregor Robertson is here to what a bloody set of Champions League fixtures. That was, hey, lads?

I wanted to ask before we get right into the action and Martin, you were at both games.

Congratulations. Well done on making it back as well, by the way. Props to the Euro staff are

getting you here. I just want your first reaction to the Declan Rice goals

for both goals

because I was in the office

and the Times office late at night

can be quite a quiet place.

Everyone head down, focusing on their work.

And with it nil-nil,

you're thinking,

I really need a kind of big story here.

So I'm not going to lie

that my reaction to the first goal was, thank God for that.

...