Capello's starting lineup for this match was:
Su Hang, Van Nistelrooy, Raúl
Zidane, Diarra, Emerson
Roberto Carlos, Cannavaro, Kompany, Sergio Ramos
Casillas
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Cicinho picked up a minor injury in the previous match and remains unavailable for this one. He's expected to return in the next league fixture.
As the referee blew the opening whistle, Su Hang kicked off from the center circle.
Real Madrid circulated the ball at the back, everyone getting a touch.
Dynamo Kyiv, playing away from home, seemed eager to make a statement, launching an aggressive high press right from the start.
Su Hang immediately dropped deep to offer his teammates a passing option.
Zidane held off his marker and played it back. Cannavaro then lofted a pass toward Su Hang.
Su Hang leapt and nodded it on with a cushioned header, the ball rolling toward the left side.
Roberto Carlos, who had already started his run the moment Cannavaro lifted the ball, arrived perfectly, collected it, and surged forward on the overlap.
In the blink of an eye, Real Madrid had carved out a chance.
"Carlos is driving forward—nothing but open grass in front of him!"
"Dynamo Kyiv have overcommitted! Their back line is wide open!"
"Roberto Carlos with a low cross!"
Bang!
Van Nistelrooy hit it first time without stopping the ball, delicately lifting his shot to show off his finishing class.
The ball slipped past the goalkeeper's outstretched fingers and curled into the far corner.
One minute.
Real Madrid strike with lightning speed—a dream start!
"GOAL!"
"Van Nistelrooy! The former Premier League and Champions League Golden Boot winner proves his class once again! That's Real Madrid's first Champions League goal of the season!"
"That finish was extremely difficult, but he controlled it perfectly!"
"One–nil! The Bernabéu erupts in applause!"
"The replay is up on the big screen now. Look at Su Hang's header—pure quality. He knew exactly where Roberto Carlos was running and weighted it perfectly."
"That single touch completely tore open the defense."
"Without Su, there's no power. With Su, everything's different!"
The atmosphere at the Bernabéu instantly relaxed.
For most fans, this match already felt settled.
When a strong side faces a weaker one, once the favorite scores, there's usually little suspense left.
For an underdog to pull off an upset, the prerequisite is not conceding—then maybe stealing one on the counter.
Dynamo Kyiv had clearly lost that chance.
In the seventh minute, Zidane received a square pass from Emerson and, in one motion, threaded a through ball toward the left.
Su Hang sprinted onto it, took his first touch, and immediately cut inside, blowing past the opposing right-back before he could react.
But Dynamo Kyiv were now sitting in a compact block. The closer Su Hang got to the center and the box, the more defenders crowded in, leaving him no room to continue cutting inside.
He switched gears and drove down the channel instead.
Using the retreating right-back's body positioning, Su Hang burst into top gear.
Combined with Torres' Acceleration Path, he gained half a body-length on the entire Dynamo Kyiv back line.
Van Nistelrooy raised his hand in the middle, calling for the ball while making his run.
Raúl also slipped into the box, lurking at the far post.
Bang!
Su Hang played a sweeping pass—but instead of flashing it across the face of goal, he pulled it back with a reverse triangle toward the edge of the penalty spot.
This passing lane was a prediction of the defender's prediction.
At the last moment, a Dynamo Kyiv defender launched himself into a flying block. If Su Hang had gone for the simple square ball, it would likely have been cut out.
For an average player, having that cross blocked could still mean a corner, with a slim chance of chaos or even an own goal—already a six- or seven-out-of-ten opportunity.
But Su Hang had exceptional vision. Years of being pushed hard in training by players of Zidane's level had ingrained in him the habit of always searching for something better.
And in this move, Real Madrid truly had an eight-out-of-ten chance.
Bang!
As attackers and defenders alike swarmed the six-yard box, the penalty spot was left completely empty.
That vacuum held just one man.
Bang!
Zidane struck it cleanly—not with overwhelming power, but with a clever angle, deliberately keeping the shot low and out of reach of the bodies in front.
The ball flew into the net.
Zidane immediately turned toward Su Hang with a grin.
Su Hang sprinted over and leapt straight onto him, leaving Zidane momentarily horrified.
When Zidane caught him, it felt like his back was about to snap.
"GOAL! Two–nil!"
"Not even ten minutes gone, and Real Madrid already have two!"
"Zidane was completely unmarked at the penalty spot—it was like a shooting drill!"
"That pass from Su Hang was exquisite! Everyone thought he'd square it for Van Nistelrooy or Raúl, but he found Zidane as if he had eyes in the back of his head."
"In reality, Su Hang couldn't possibly have seen Zidane's run from there. This was pure chemistry. Su Hang felt someone should be there, and Zidane sensed the ball might arrive. Perfect understanding!"
"The connection between Real Madrid's number nine and number ten—Zidane and Su Hang! Utterly unstoppable! The Galácticos are lifting off!"
The stadium echoed with chants of Zidane's name.
In the thirteenth minute, Real Madrid worked the ball patiently around the edge of Dynamo Kyiv's box, probing for an opening.
Su Hang suddenly darted diagonally into the area.
Cannavaro zipped a quick pass into Zidane's feet.
Zidane glanced toward Su Hang, but with his left foot he swept the ball sideways to Diarra instead.
Su Hang's run and Zidane's gaze caused Dynamo Kyiv's defenders to misread the situation.
Even though Su Hang ended up offside, he completely disrupted their defensive shape.
Bang!
Diarra didn't waste the space, unleashing a thunderous long-range shot.
The ball flew at terrifying speed!
Whoosh!
The net billowed like a splash of white water.
"GOAL! Three–nil! Diarra finally breaks his drought with a sensational screamer!"
"That's his first goal since joining Real Madrid."
"Zidane's look alone fooled everyone."
"I have to say, I'm starting to feel sorry for Dynamo Kyiv. It's only the 13th minute, and they've already conceded three."
"Every minute from here on out is going to be agony for them."
"Of course, you can understand their pressure—or rather, their defensive dilemma."
"When the players in front of you are Van Nistelrooy, Raúl, Su Hang, and Zidane, you genuinely don't know who to mark."
"Focus on Van Nistelrooy, and Zidane scores. Shut down Su Hang, and Diarra steps up. They're constantly patching one hole only for another to open."
In the twenty-fourth minute, the suffering continued.
Roberto Carlos played a direct ball down the left to Su Hang.
Su Hang brought it under control and advanced cautiously. The defenders didn't dare step up, retreating while jockeying.
This kind of situation was actually perfect for an attacker.
Su Hang picked up the pace slightly, threw in two stepovers, and deliberately feigned a run toward the byline.
A top-level defender could read his intention at a glance.
He was definitely cutting inside.
Showing just enough intent to go down the line was meant to force the defender to adjust his body angle a little more.
When defending a run to the byline, a fullback usually has to face the touchline; once beaten, he must immediately turn and chase toward the goal line.
But defending an inside cut requires facing the ball carrier, forming roughly a forty-five-degree angle with the touchline.
That forty-five-degree difference is often the line between catching up—and being left behind.
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
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