But for safety reasons, after discussing it with Su Hang, Capello decided to take him off.
They couldn't leave Su Hang on the pitch to keep provoking Sevilla.
Sevilla had always played with a hard edge. With no hope of winning, they were very likely to treat "putting Su Hang in his place" as their final act of defiance.
Keeping Su Hang on the field would drastically increase his risk of injury.
At this point, Capello couldn't even imagine what Real Madrid would look like without Su Hang.
In their last three competitive matches, Real Madrid had scored ten goals—eight of them by Su Hang. The only two he didn't score came in a game he didn't even play.
Su Hang's dominance in front of goal was clear for all to see.
As the second half kicked off, the commentators quickly noticed changes in Real Madrid's lineup.
"Oh! Another triple substitution from Real Madrid at halftime."
"Looks like Capello is letting more players find their form. That suggests he thinks the result is already beyond doubt."
"Cassano replaces Su Hang, likely because of Alves's flying tackle at the end of the first half. Did Su Hang pick up a knock from that?"
"Robinho replaces Raúl—this is practically becoming Capello's standard move. Robinho shifts to the left, Cassano to the right."
"Diarra comes on for Beckham. That puts Emerson on the right side of midfield and gives the Defensive Midfielder role to Diarra."
On the bench, aside from Su Hang, the other two stars who had been subbed off didn't look particularly happy.
When it comes to managing relationships with superstar players, Capello really might need to buy that $9.99 online 'Emotional Intelligence' course.
In the 52nd minute, Emerson received a pass from Zidane and immediately took a long-range shot from distance, sending it well over the bar.
Modrić noticed Zidane give a faint shake of the head. Zidane had intended for Emerson to lay the ball back to him so he could thread a through ball to Cassano.
But since Emerson didn't see a direct passing lane, he simply went for a long shot, breaking the rhythm of Zidane's build-up play.
It all came down to inconsistent decision-making.
In the 59th minute, Cassano took a pass from Cicinho and tried a long-range strike. The ball deflected off a defender and bounced out over the end line.
In the 66th minute, Sevilla launched a counterattack.
Alves surged forward and whipped in a cross.
Fabiano met it with a header.
Thankfully, Casillas produced a brilliant save, tipping the ball out for a corner.
In the 73rd minute, Zidane slipped a through ball forward.
Robinho, making a run into the box, was brought down by a defender.
It was one of those penalties that could go either way.
The referee ultimately waved it off.
Robinho was visibly upset in the box.
With Su Hang off the field, Robinho—as a Forward—would have had the right to take the penalty, especially since he won it himself.
What a shame.
Veteran fans generally understand calls like this, while newer fans often think it's bad refereeing.
Match management exists in almost every major sports league worldwide—not just football.
The worst form aims to fix matches for gambling.
The milder form aims to enhance entertainment.
Referees try to keep games competitive and suspenseful.
The actual result matters less than the spectacle.
Take this match: Real Madrid were already up 3–0.
One more goal, and the remaining minutes would become garbage time, dragging down viewership.
But Sevilla were building momentum and looked close to scoring, which helped bring audience interest back.
If they pulled one back, the match would suddenly become exciting again.
Many referees—those who aren't corrupt—still manage matches this way because their performance bonuses depend on the entertainment value.
That's different from match-fixing driven by ulterior motives.
In commercial leagues, this is simply part of the reality.
In the 76th minute, sure enough, Sevilla struck while the iron was hot, hitting back with consecutive counterattacks.
Alves dribbled past a careless Roberto Carlos, then swept the ball across the goalmouth.
Kanouté arrived and poked it in.
Three to one!
Sevilla pulled one back.
The match suddenly tightened.
In football, a one-goal lead is the most dangerous—and the only thing more dangerous is a two-goal lead.
Sevilla clearly still had hope.
In the 84th minute, Zidane stepped up. From the attacking midfield position, he dribbled through pressure and, after drawing enough defenders, sent a deft lofted pass forward.
Van Nistelrooy made no mistake. Holding off the Center Back, he spun halfway around and volleyed home a world-class finish.
"GOAL!"
"Four to one!"
"Van Nistelrooy! He scores again!"
"That's his second goal for Real Madrid!"
"A tremendously difficult strike! It perfectly showcases Van Nistelrooy's elite finishing!"
"And of course, Zidane's assist was crucial. That's what a true field general does—he knows exactly what the team needs. Without Zidane stepping up there, Sevilla's momentum would have completely crushed Real Madrid."
Sure enough, after Real Madrid scored, Sevilla's spirits dipped.
Chasing two goals was manageable, but falling behind by three again after all that effort was demoralizing.
Even they knew the match was slipping away.
Soon, the 90 minutes ended, and the referee signaled three minutes of stoppage time.
In the first minute of added time, Robinho beat his man on the left with a stepover and won a free kick.
Zidane took it, and Ramos rose at the far post, heading the ball into the net.
Five to one!
Real Madrid had produced another emphatic victory.
For the first time since 2002, Real Madrid lifted the UEFA Super Cup again.
Su Hang and Zidane both earned the highest rating of 9.8. Zidane—who completed yet another assist hat-trick—was named Man of the Match thanks to his longer playing time.
After the match, all of Europe was in an uproar.
Everyone was shouting, "The wolf is here!"
...
Marca: "The Galácticos sweep every major title—crowned five-time kings of world football!"
AS: "Championship predators! With five trophies secured, who in Europe can challenge Real Madrid?"
Bild: "Back-to-back assist hat-tricks! Zidane radiates the aura of a true football king!"
France Football: "Two trophies? Easy! Zidane is undoubtedly the third football king of this generation!"
Kicker: "A first-half hat-trick! Su Hang clocks out early—the one stopping him from scoring isn't the opponent, but Capello!"
Sky Sports: "Unhinged! King Zidane and Emperor Su Hang unleash a super combo—six assists and eight goals in two matches!"
London Globe: "Who else! Zidane with six assists in 135 minutes, Su Hang with eight goals in 135 minutes!"
Tuttosport: "Respect! The strongest No.9 + the strongest No.10 = eight goals and six assists in two games!"
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
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