From the moment Suker entered Bucharest National Arena, he could feel the passionate voices of the local fans.
Even as an opponent, Suker received a lot of cheers.
For these Romania fans, opportunities to see Suker in person were few and far between; their home team, Steaua Bucuresti, had finally made it into the Champions League, only to encounter Real Madrid.
Therefore, besides die-hard fans, some local residents also rushed over after hearing the news.
This also led to the match having extremely high popularity and attendance.
The only regret was that Suker kept wearing a substitute bib; anyone who has watched football knows that during the warm-up phase, most starting players wear their match jerseys, and those in substitute bibs are highly unlikely to start.
And so it was; when the warm-up ended and both teams entered the field, fans regrettably saw Suker sitting on the bench and not appearing in the starting lineup.
The starting lineups for both teams were as follows:
Steaua Bucuresti (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Tătărușanu.
Defenders: Latovlevici, Gardoș, Szukala, Georgievski.
Midfielders: Tănase, Bourceanu, Stanciu, Pintilii, Popa.
Forward: Kapetanos.
Real Madrid (4-3-3):
Goalkeeper: Diego López.
Defenders: Srna, Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo.
Midfielders: Kroos, Casemiro, Kaka.
Forwards: Bale, Benzema, Pato.
With the lineups confirmed, Steaua Bucuresti felt nervous looking at Real Madrid's all-star squad.
Each of these players was a core-level player from the Big Five Leagues, and when they came together, their combat power was terrifyingly strong.
Most crucially, Suker, as Real Madrid's super ace, was still sitting on the bench.
Even if they got past this hurdle, there was an even bigger BOSS blocking their way.
Stanciu continuously took deep breaths, adjusting his breathing.
He looked towards the opposite side, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.
It was a pity Suker was on the bench and not starting.
But they would force Suker out with their performance.
On the bench, Suker leaned back, his feet propped on the bucket in front of him, arms crossed, looking lazy.
He wasn't worried about any problems in the match.
They had previously studied Steaua Bucuresti, and their performance was not strong enough to pose a threat.
"Both teams are ready; unfortunately, Suker couldn't appear on the field, but according to information revealed by Real Madrid's coaching staff, Suker needs rest due to an injury."
The Romania commentator couldn't help but grin.
Who are they fooling?
He didn't even believe that!
He was perfectly fine a few days ago, and suddenly he's injured?
How could Suker, with his iron man physique, get injured just like that?
It was simply because they believed Steaua Bucuresti couldn't threaten them, so they let Suker rest.
This feeling of being underestimated was extremely bad!
But the problem was that their overall strength was indeed far from Real Madrid's, so being underestimated was natural.
They could still endure the frustration.
After all, football is a sport where strength speaks for itself!
"Guys, cheer up, let's show them what we've got!"
The Goalkeeper and captain, Tătărușanu, waved his arms, shouting loudly.
The Steaua Bucuresti players immediately responded with loud cheers.
At this moment, the whistle blew.
Real Madrid quickly kicked off!
"The match has begun! This is the 2013/2014 Champions League group stage match between Steaua Bucuresti and Real Madrid at Bucharest National Arena, and it's also Real Madrid's first Champions League match of the season.
Can Real Madrid secure a victory without Suker?"
On the field, Real Madrid had already quickly kicked off.
Benzema, Pato, and Bale began to sprint forward, looking for opportunities to make runs.
The ball was passed to midfielders Kroos and Kaka to control the tempo.
Real Madrid played without haste; they steadily controlled the ball, using passes and runs to create penetrating plays.
Real Madrid's passing mainly consisted of short passes and one-touch plays, quickly moving the ball forward in a series of triangular formations.
Steaua Bucuresti clearly felt the pressure; they were also very decisive, immediately withdrawing their attacking and midfield lines, shrinking their defense, forming a half-field defensive setup, defending while looking for counter-attacking opportunities.
"Very quick reaction!"
Suker said softly.
But by setting up a positional defense, Real Madrid couldn't break through?
Suker turned to look at Kaka.
Indeed, Kaka had already started instructing Kroos to push higher.
And with Kroos pushing higher, it was like putting a nail in Steaua Bucuresti's midfield defense.
He could not only switch play from side to side in the attacking third but also suddenly launch an attack.
If Suker were on the field, this job would belong to Suker.
But Pato, after all, couldn't play like Suker, nor did he have that kind of overall vision.
Ancelotti's evaluation of Pato was that he was an excellent attacker but definitely not a shrewd leader!
Suker combined multiple roles, but it was also a reflection of his versatility.
The ball reached Bale's feet; Bale quickly accelerated, using his speed to burst down the right wing, leaving his marker half a step behind.
"Bale crosses in front of goal! Benzema!"
Bang!
The Goalkeeper reacted quickly, kicking the ball away with his leg before Benzema could reach it.
Seeing this, Ancelotti couldn't help but shake his head.
Bale's final pass still needed work; at least this kind of cross in front of goal was too close to the goal, and the opposing Goalkeeper could quickly block it with one step.
Of course, this also greatly tests the Goalkeeper.
After all, if he misjudges, he could suffer a backlash.
Therefore, most Goalkeepers would calmly stay on the goal line to make saves.
One could only say that Steaua Bucuresti's Goalkeeper was very proactive.
After clearing the ball, Steaua Bucuresti immediately launched a counter-attack.
But they only made two passes before Real Madrid intercepted the ball.
"Ah~~~ That pass wasn't too good!" The Romania commentator wailed, holding his head.
It was originally a counter-attacking opportunity, but they focused too much on long-distance passing, leading to Real Madrid intercepting it.
Casemiro easily shielded the ball in front of him, and only after Kaka approached did he calmly pass it.
Casemiro straightened up; he wondered if it was just his imagination.
He felt that Steaua Bucuresti's passing lines were too simple and easy to predict.
When playing in La Liga, every pass was full of concealment, difficult to anticipate, and very deceptive.
But Steaua Bucuresti's passes were like a straight line; a quick glance told you what these guys wanted to do.
Once he understood this, intercepting became too simple.
Real Madrid launched another attack, still initiated by Bale on the right wing.
After Suker became a substitute, Bale became the main attacking route.
However, Steaua Bucuresti also did a good job of containing him on the right wing.
It wasn't until Bale started passing back, Benzema dropped deep to set up plays, and the two wingers made diagonal runs forward that Steaua Bucuresti's defense became chaotic.
Kroos suddenly lofted a pass.
Pato immediately got into position and unleashed a powerful volley with a sideways strike.
"Pato!!"
Spain commentator González roared.
But the next second, a pair of large hands suddenly appeared in the ball's trajectory, swatting it away.
"Oh~~~ It's Tătărușanu again! This Romania Goalkeeper is in incredibly hot form!"
The ball landed in the left flank area; Latovlevici, seeing Bale rapidly charging towards him, hastily cleared it with a long kick.
"Steaua Bucuresti clears with a long kick! The ball flies towards Real Madrid's half; Ramos and Kapetanos challenge for it!"
As a Greece target man, Kapetanos possessed a strong and tall physique.
In fact, in terms of physical dimensions, he was even more robust than Ramos.
Yet, Ramos still managed to successfully tie up Kapetanos with his experience.
The ball bounced off both their shoulders and flew a short distance forward.
And there, a player in a blue and red striped jersey appeared.
"Stanciu! He's got a touch!"
Under the gaze of many eyes, Stanciu calmly cushioned the ball, letting it bounce once.
Taking advantage of this time, Stanciu looked directly at Real Madrid's goal.
He noticed that Real Madrid Goalkeeper Diego López was positioned very far forward, standing in front of the penalty spot.
Seeing this, Stanciu immediately gritted his teeth.
Almost without a second thought, he swung his right foot with all his might, meeting the ball as it bounced down again, and unleashed a powerful shot.
Bang!
The ball, propelled by immense force, rocketed towards Real Madrid's goal like a cannonball.
This sudden turn of events stunned everyone.
After all, no one expected Stanciu to take a long-range shot directly from that position.
And the accuracy...
Swish!!
The ball went into the net.
No matter how quickly Diego López retreated, his feet could never match the speed of the flying ball; he could only watch helplessly as the ball entered the net.
At 23 minutes, Steaua Bucuresti scored first!
"Worldie!!!!!!"
"Stanciu!! Romania's genius player!!"
"That must be twenty meters, right? It's definitely twenty meters!! Oh my God! A twenty-meter worldie goal, Stanciu has become Steaua Bucuresti's hero!"
"He helped the team score first. When almost no one favored them, they believed in themselves. This decisive long-range shot was too brilliant!"
The Romania commentator was beside himself with excitement.
He was practically going crazy!
Equally excited was Stanciu.
After the ball went into the net, he stood frozen in place for several seconds.
He only came to his senses when his teammates rushed over.
"God! You scored!"
"You broke through Real Madrid's goal, that's amazing!"
"A worldie! That long-range shot was so cool!"
"Well done, Stanciu!"
Steaua Bucuresti's teammates were overjoyed.
They had been playing very tough, thinking about how to resist Real Madrid and push them back from dangerous areas as much as possible.
But at this moment, Stanciu gave them a huge surprise.
This long-range goal directly broke the deadlock on the field and also stunned Real Madrid.
"Was it a fluke?" Casemiro couldn't help but ask in astonishment.
Kaka grinned: "Whether it was a fluke or not, the other side has already scored."
"Who would have thought he'd shoot directly from there? That must be at least 30 meters!"
Head Coach Ancelotti on the sidelines also shook his head.
No way!
This was a wonder goal!
Previously, Steaua Bucuresti's advances and passes would be intercepted or stolen by Real Madrid after just a few touches.
Therefore, they would inevitably have concerns during their advances.
However, who would have thought they would take a direct long-range shot, and so decisively at that.
"Defend! Defend! Defend!"
After scoring a worldie, Steaua Bucuresti's morale soared.
They began to organize their defense and stubbornly obstructed Real Madrid's advances with powerful confrontations.
During this period, they even fouled Real Madrid several times.
Under these deliberate fouls, some individual Real Madrid players also became enraged, unable to maintain their composure, and made a few irrational dribbling breakthroughs.
Time was also worn down by this kind of offense.
And when Real Madrid planned to attack again, they found that the first half had already ended, and the Referee blew the whistle for the end of the first half.
"A brilliant match! Steaua Bucuresti stubbornly held onto the lead, going into the second half with a one-goal advantage!"
"We must make good adjustments, and in the second half, we still need to resist Real Madrid's attacks again and again!"
The Romania commentator was very excited.
Steaua Bucuresti played much better than they had imagined.
Especially after scoring in the first half, their morale was high, and their defense became stronger and more decisive.
If they could just endure the second half, as long as they didn't make too many mistakes, they might have a chance to win the match, or at least secure a draw.
Their opponent was Real Madrid!
Securing a draw against Real Madrid and earning a valuable point would greatly boost their position in the Champions League.
In Real Madrid's locker room, Ancelotti calmly set up tactics.
Being one goal down was not enough to panic Real Madrid.
Steaua Bucuresti's wonder goal did catch them off guard, but Real Madrid in the second half was the most competitive team.
Real Madrid's resilience is top-tier across Europe.
"Steaua Bucuresti will defend this point to the death, especially at the start of the second half, they will immediately adopt a conservative defensive tactic, and what we need to do is to try to disrupt the opponent's backline between 45-60 minutes. After 60 minutes, that's when we truly exert our strength!"
In fast-paced, high-intensity matches, there really aren't many teams that can contend with Real Madrid.
To further ensure victory, Ancelotti turned to Suker and said, "Get ready, after 60 minutes, prepare to come on."
Suker nodded, indicating he understood.
The other Real Madrid players felt a surge of energy.
The main player was coming on, so what was there to worry about!
Although they didn't play well in the first half, Suker was a strong guarantee, always there to back them up.
In the second half, both sides switched ends and resumed play.
Real Madrid launched a terrifying offensive frenzy, repeatedly assaulting Steaua Bucuresti's defense.
And at this moment, Steaua Bucuresti also felt the offensive impact from a top giant.
Each attack made their defense precarious; they almost gritted their teeth and held on.
But in this process, both their physical strength and energy were rapidly depleting.
After 55 minutes, they started to have 'lose track' issues, almost allowing Real Madrid to score.
But after repeated attacks, Steaua Bucuresti still couldn't hold on.
In the 58th minute, Bale made a strong breakthrough and cut in from the right wing, directly tearing open Steaua Bucuresti's defense. He feigned a shot and then calmly passed the ball.
After receiving the ball, Benzema performed an La Croqueta to get past the last defender and followed up with a left-footed shot.
The ball went into the net, and Real Madrid finally equalized the score.
"Ah~~~ We couldn't hold on!!"
The Romania commentator immediately became nervous, feeling his heart pounding rapidly.
"It's time for substitutions, isn't it? Adjustments must be made, the backline can't hold up!"
Sure enough, Steaua Bucuresti made substitutions.
They made like-for-like changes, bringing on two defensive players consecutively to further solidify their defense.
This scene made the Romania commentator breathe a sigh of relief.
"Next..."
He was about to speak, but his tone suddenly paused.
A series of exclamations erupted from the stadium, and in the next second, the camera panned.
A player in a white jersey appeared in the camera.
As the camera moved, the name 'SUKER' on his back came into view.
The entire Bucharest National Arena suddenly fell silent.
The local fans, one by one, seemed to have their throats choked, suddenly losing all their strength.
The Steaua Bucuresti players on the field, whose eyes were originally filled with high fighting spirit, suddenly became terrified upon seeing this figure.
60 minutes!
The score is 1:1!
In the first half and the first 15 minutes of the second half, Real Madrid had thrown their backline into complete disarray.
And at this time point, Suker came on, which was going to be the death of them!
"Oh~~~ Suker~~~"
The Romania commentator's voice was weak.
If he had still felt hopeful of a draw a moment ago, now, only helplessness remained in his heart.
The Steaua Bucuresti players also exchanged glances.
They had been so focused on playing that they had forgotten about Suker.
And when Suker stood on the sidelines, about to enter the field, the feeling was simply terrible.
At this moment, Suker was like the Satan that feared, walking onto the field with the steps of a demon.
At least, for Steaua Bucuresti, this was their most genuine feeling.
How were they supposed to play now?
At first, they thought they couldn't win, so playing a match against Suker was a very meaningful thing for them.
But now that they actually had a chance to draw, they didn't want to see Suker!
Of course, there was also someone who was excited, and that was Stanciu.
After a long period of resistance, they finally forced Suker to come on.
Professional players need to pursue victory, and Suker not playing would have been the best thing for Steaua Bucuresti.
But Stanciu had a personal desire; he still wanted to compete on the same field as his idol, Suker.