"Build around Zidane as the central orchestrator. With defenders and midfielders supporting his distribution, Real Madrid aims to maintain possession from the back and disrupt Barcelona's passing rhythm."
"Everyone knows Barcelona's passing game is exceptional, but what sustains it—beyond individual skill—is their relentless high pressing in attack."
"For Real Madrid to compete in possession, they must first neutralize Barcelona's high press."
"Real Madrid seems to have drawn inspiration from AC Milan's strategy of repositioning Pirlo deeper on the pitch. Pirlo started his career as an attacking midfielder, but it wasn't until he was moved to defensive midfield at AC Milan that he truly flourished."
"Zidane is a hundred times better than Pirlo as an attacking midfielder. As a defensive midfielder... well, at worst, he'll be another Pirlo, right? Hahaha, 'Little Pirlo'—how about that?"
"But that leaves Real Madrid's front line in trouble."
With the midfielders dropping deeper to help Zidane circulate the ball, the two forwards up front looked increasingly isolated.
On top of that, Su Hang naturally plays as a deeper-lying forward.
Baptista, being an all-round midfielder, also tends to drift back.
You could even say Real Madrid were playing without a true striker.
As a result, Barcelona easily dominated possession in the opening minutes.
Whenever Baptista or Su Hang pressed forward, Barcelona simply toyed with them, knocking the ball around effortlessly in their own half.
Yet, to everyone's surprise, coach Rijkaard wasn't smiling.
Because this wasn't the kind of possession Barcelona wanted.
Their dominance wasn't supposed to stop in their own half—it should've extended into midfield and the attacking third—into Real Madrid's half.
But with Real Madrid packing their midfield and defense, Barcelona's attacks suddenly found no room to breathe.
They had no choice but to rely on Ronaldinho to break the deadlock.
In the sixth minute, Edmilson attempted a pass to Ronaldinho—only for Zidane to intercept it cleanly.
Edmilson had underestimated Zidane's footballing intelligence and vision; his pass was read like an open book.
Of course, Zidane's interception carried risk. If he'd missed, Ronaldinho would've been free to charge directly at Real Madrid's backline.
Keep that up for long, and the defense would inevitably collapse.
But this time, Zidane won the battle.
After losing possession, Barcelona immediately triggered a high press.
Larsson and Deco swarmed toward Zidane.
Ronaldinho stayed unmarked, ready to sprint forward, waiting for a through ball once the ball was won.
But Zidane, with a feint of his body, pulled off a perfect Marseille Turn to evade Larsson, then slipped past Deco with a series of quick, composed touches before bursting free.
Swap him for any of Real Madrid's previous defensive midfielders—Gravesen, García, Baptista, or even Beckham—and none of them would've dared to play that way.
Either they lacked the skill, or the composure.
Zidane had both.
Boom!
Just as Barcelona prepared to press harder, Zidane launched a long pass forward toward Su Hang.
The pace of the game suddenly exploded.
Spotting the ball's trajectory, Su Hang began muscling with Edmilson for position.
Despite Edmilson's tough defending, Su Hang's 89 Strength rating was no joke—he held his ground and pinned Edmilson behind him.
As the ball dropped, Su Hang cushioned it with his right foot, nudging it backward while spinning to the left.
The Ice Prince's Waltz!
Even Real Madrid fans were stunned.
They swore Su Hang's touch had never been this smooth before.
That first touch—so clean, so effortless—it didn't even look like Su Hang!
Thud!
Just as he was about to burst into the box, Puyol slid in at full speed, clearing the ball for a corner.
Without that intervention, Su Hang would've been clean through on goal.
The outcome... didn't bear imagining.
On the other side, Su Hang leapt over Puyol's head as the defender slid past, narrowly missing the chance to shoot.
He shook his head slightly, then turned and gave Zidane a thumbs-up—his first sign of approval in the match.
He still needed time to readjust—to the ball, the pitch, the opponents, and his own rhythm.
There was room for improvement in how he handled that chance.
"Oh! That was Su Hang's first touch of the game—and it nearly caused trouble for Barcelona!"
"What a beautiful back-to-goal split! It reminds you of Arsenal's Ice Prince, Bergkamp!"
"This must be Bergkamp's inspiration at work!"
On the pitch, Puyol—who'd just been leapt over—was visibly irritated.
The two had never gotten along.
"You think you're Bergkamp? You're miles away!" Puyol taunted, knowing Su Hang's footwork was far from perfect.
It was a jab meant to sting—psychological warfare.
Trash talk is a form of magic on the pitch.
And if you're wondering how effective it can be—just remember Zidane's headbutt.
"But you're not far off from Dabizas," Su Hang shot back, grinning.
Dabizas was the defender humiliated by Bergkamp's iconic spin and turn years ago.
Real Madrid then took the corner.
But as the ball was played, Su Hang was shoved from behind and fell to the ground.
The referee didn't see it—no whistle.
Valdés pounced to grab the ball and looked to launch a quick counterattack, but Baptista smartly blocked his path.
With the break spoiled, Barcelona slowed things down again, returning to their controlled passing style.
Before restarting, Valdés glanced at Su Hang, who was dusting himself off and walking out of the box.
Su Hang shook his head, muttering something to the referee—likely about the shove—but, of course, no one paid him any attention.
Derek Rae: "Su Hang's form still doesn't look right. That clever dribble actually gives it away—it's a sign something's off."
Tommy Smyth: "Aye, you're right, Derek. For the past couple of weeks, his performances have dipped. Could be fatigue, could be physical strain."
Derek Rae: "That's what most analysts are saying. Players who rely heavily on their physical strength tend to burn out quicker."
Tommy Smyth: "If Su Hang were fully fit, he wouldn't try that risky move. He'd trap it, hold off the defender, turn, and either shoot or lay it off. But that spin? That's him forcing it."
When a player suddenly starts using moves he's never relied on before, it usually means he's facing difficulties and is forced to adapt.
But those who consciously reinvent themselves without pressure—those players possess rare football IQ and foresight.
After all, transformation isn't easy.
Abandoning your strengths to build new ones takes incredible discipline.
In the 13th minute, Barcelona pressed Zidane again.
But Zidane connected fluidly with Beckham, Figo, Roberto Carlos, and Helguera, weaving through the pressure and making Eto'o and Larsson look foolish.
It was payback on behalf of Su Hang and Baptista.
Applause erupted from the Real Madrid fans in the stands.
In the 21st minute, Baptista dropped deep and laid the ball off to Figo, whose long-range strike flew just wide.
Normally, that kind of play would've been Su Hang's role.
But today, Baptista was the one covering more ground.
"Is Su Hang tired?"
"Looks like it."
"Other than that opening move, he's been pretty quiet—almost invisible."
In the 29th minute, Roberto Carlos surged down the left and sent in a cross.
The ball took a deflection off Oleguer and went out of bounds.
Su Hang made a near-post run but couldn't connect—it had already drifted past the byline.
Afterward, Su Hang bent forward, hands on his knees, looking visibly winded.
But behind the fatigue, there was a flicker of mischief in his eyes.
He might've looked exhausted—but hadn't he still reached the perfect position?
If you went by appearances, you'd think Su Hang was out of gas.
But judging by his play, nothing was wrong at all.
So... was he acting?