This time, Raúl was clearly unhappy.
As a member of the "Su-Zi-Ra" trio, he felt completely invisible—many fans even thought "Su-Zi-Ra" referred only to Su Hang + Zidane.
Being subbed off in the Super Cup—a glorified warm-up—was one thing. But being taken off around halftime in a proper league match?
Capello's stance on Raúl couldn't be more obvious now.
Six minutes after Raúl left the pitch, Villarreal's star striker Diego Forlán blasted in a long-range shot that broke through Real Madrid's goal.
One–nil!
Villarreal, the visiting side, took the lead.
Real Madrid then launched continuous attacks, but despite dominating, they just couldn't turn pressure into goals. No real threatening chances emerged.
In the 77th minute, Capello made a sweeping gesture and used up all his remaining substitutions.
Guti came on for Robinho, who was drained after too many sprints.
Beckham replaced defensive midfielder Diarra to strengthen the attack.
Beckham could play as a holding midfielder—he actually performed quite well there last season.
But with Emerson already on the pitch as the defensive anchor, putting Beckham in that role felt unnecessary.
In the 85th minute, Zidane received a pass from Roberto Carlos, pulled it back, and earned a well-placed free kick.
Emerson, known for his long-range shots, immediately walked over to take it. As the midfield core, he had every right to step up.
But Zidane habitually waved Beckham over.
Beckham had long been Real Madrid's primary free-kick taker.
Capello clearly intended to reorganize set-piece duties, but hadn't actually implemented anything yet.
Emerson, arriving a step late, couldn't really argue anymore.
Beckham inhaled deeply—then bent a perfect banana free kick toward goal.
Swoosh!
The ball curled straight into the top corner!
Goal!
1–1. Beckham equalized with a direct free kick.
Capello and Emerson both looked slightly uncomfortable.
Afterwards, the match intensity spiked sharply, with fouls coming from both sides.
For Real Madrid, Roberto Carlos and Cicinho were both booked.
In the end, Real Madrid held onto a hard-earned draw.
A "Super Real Madrid" that had scored twelve goals across three matches managed only one today, taking just a single point.
This was hard to swallow for fans who had entered the season full of ambition.
After this match, Real Madrid and Villarreal sat tied for twelfth place.
Early-season standings may not matter much, but they certainly give the media something to stir up.
...
Sport: "Confirmed! Real Madrid truly has a Su Hang dependency! Without Su Hang, scoring becomes a massive problem!"
Mundo Deportivo: "Barcelona and Deportivo tied for third, Valencia fifth, Atlético sixth! Sevilla—despite losing the UEFA Super Cup—now leads La Liga!"
That's right.
Sevilla, the team just thrashed by Real Madrid, was now sitting at the top of the table.
It was a strange sort of karmic balance.
Honestly, Capello hated this feeling.
His tactics were clearly sound—so why couldn't they win without Su Hang?
Not once, but twice.
Four matches into the new season: two wins, two draws.
Both draws came in matches without Su Hang.
Calling it coincidence felt like a stretch.
No coach likes being labeled as reliant on a single player.
Simon: Oh? You sure no one likes that?
Given Real Madrid's constant public scrutiny and the fact that Capello had been benching players like Raúl and Beckham often, the pressure on him was immense.
So he called Su Hang late at night to ask about his condition—and subtly hinted that if his commercial shoots were nearly done, maybe it was time to return.
Thus, as the new weekend approached, Capello excitedly announced to reporters:
"The team is ready. We can't wait to deliver a victory to our fans."
And once the starting lineup was released, everyone understood his confidence.
Su Hang, Van Nistelrooy, Raúl
Zidane, Diarra, Beckham
Carlos, Cannavaro, Ramos, Salgado
Casillas
=
Su Hang was back—front and center.
Real Madrid fans immediately roared their chants:
"With Su and Zidane, unbeatable under heaven!"
"With Zidane and Su, no enemy escapes—no matter how far!"
For a moment, Levante—hosting Real Madrid at home—felt like they'd swallowed poison.
Why us? Why do we have to be the ones "hunted down from afar"?
Couldn't Su Hang have taken one more match off?
Look, he even coughed a little when he walked onto the pitch—isn't he getting sick?
If he's catching a cold, he should go straight to the hospital! If he doesn't go now, he might actually recover!
Under such circumstances, Levante naturally chose a deep-defending, counterattacking strategy.
Their only objective today was to keep Real Madrid from scoring.
In the 3rd minute, a Levante player brought down Van Nistelrooy.
Beckham's Banana Free Kick flew just inches wide—nearly giving him free-kick goals in back-to-back matches.
In the 5th minute, Zidane sent in a cross from the wing, and Su Hang made a near-post run for the shot.
But under defensive pressure, the ball struck his calf and sailed off target.
A successful defensive stop—but it gave Su Hang an idea.
The calf… doesn't count as the foot, right?
If he scored with his calf, would that bring him closer to completing his "shooting mission"?
In the 13th minute, Zidane delivered another chipped pass, but Van Nistelrooy was delayed by the Center Back and arrived a moment too late, allowing the keeper to claim the ball first.
In the 22nd minute, Beckham sent one of his trademark crosses from the right.
Raúl's header smashed against the crossbar.
During this stretch, Real Madrid's attacks crashed forward like relentless waves—one after another, without pause.
In the 32nd minute, Carlos surged down the left.
Zidane spotted it and slipped him a through ball.
Carlos took it and swept a low pass across the box.
Su Hang and a defender battled for position, and Su Hang eventually slid in for a shot—but without enough power. The keeper easily collected it.
Su Hang stood up quickly, ready to track back.
"Su, what are you doing?" Zidane came over. "How much is Adidas paying you for those shin guards? Why do you keep trying to hit the ball with your shin?"
"Not every chance needs a shin touch!"
"That last one—you could've handled it better. Don't you think?"
Su Hang nodded. "Don't worry. I get it. I know what to do now."
Zidane patted his shoulder.
And Zidane was absolutely right.
This wasn't just any match—it was a league game.
For a title-chasing team like Real Madrid, every point mattered.
If they didn't rack up easy points early on, they'd be exhausted later juggling multiple competitions.
Su Hang had been too focused on his "tasks" these past two matches.
He hadn't been fully locked into the game itself.
Once or twice is forgivable. Over and over? Not anymore.
Su Hang swore he wouldn't repeat the mistake.
Goals scored with something other than the head or foot were rare—forcing it would only make it harder to achieve.
Relax a little.
Who knows? Maybe he could finish that damn mission all in one match.
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser