In the 33rd minute, Owen broke through with the ball and earned a free kick near the box.
Beckham took the kick—a beautiful curling shot that struck the post. Just a bit unlucky.
In the 38th minute, Figo dribbled past defenders on the wing and threaded a sharp through ball.
Owen, making a well-timed run to the near post, latched onto it and fired a brilliant goal from a tight angle.
But before he could celebrate, the referee flagged for offside.
Maybe Owen had started just a touch early—or perhaps Figo misjudged his speed and released the ball too late.
Either way, it came down to timing and chemistry.
Still, the difficulty of that disallowed goal couldn't be overlooked.
Owen's skill quickly won over the crowd.
"Looks like Morientes doesn't stand a chance! Owen is just too sharp—he and Ronaldo up front will dominate La Liga!"
"As for Su Hang… aside from that one assist, he's done nothing noteworthy."
"All I see is a mediocre striker. I don't get why he's being called Real Madrid's Crown Prince."
"And I really don't understand why Queiroz rates him so highly."
Sky Sports had picked up this game because of Owen and Woodgate, but their evaluation of Su Hang was scathing.
It all traced back to a recent list released by German Transfer Market—"2004's Rising Stars" in world football.
The list was filled with elite young talents: Torres, Quaresma, Kompany, Sneijder, Essien, Iniesta, Adebayor, De Rossi, Milner, Tevez, Robinho, Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo… the list went on.
These players were either prodigies from a young age, leaders of underdog teams, or viewed as future pillars of powerhouse clubs.
Su Hang, on the other hand, made the list based on just three games last season—causing massive controversy.
To top it off, he was ranked even higher than England's golden boy, Wayne Rooney.
Can you believe that?
No wonder the English media were so hostile toward Su Hang.
In the 41st minute, Su Hang dropped deep to receive the ball again.
This time, the opposing defensive midfielder deliberately shadowed him, cutting off Zidane's passing option.
Zidane quickly switched play to Figo.
Figo beat his marker once more down the wing.
In the past, Su Hang might've panicked, unsure where to run—especially with so many new teammates.
But now, even as players drifted out of position, he could still spot gaps in the chaos.
If you don't know where to run, just head for open space—it never fails.
Su Hang shifted right, drifting toward the edge of the box.
Figo crossed the ball.
It deflected off a defender, changing direction.
By sheer chance, it flew straight toward Su Hang.
He took two quick steps and unleashed a powerful shot without hesitation!
It wasn't the hardest strike—but with no one around, the accuracy was all he needed.
Whoosh!
The ball slammed into the back of Krakow's net.
"This…" The Sky Sports commentator looked visibly uncomfortable.
He had just written Su Hang off—and now the kid had scored.
"Su Hang sure got lucky!"
"The deflection sent the ball right to him—easy finish. My grandma could've scored that!"
"Two-nil!"
"With that goal, Real Madrid have one foot firmly in the Champions League group stage!"
"Sure, it's a two-leg tie, but Real Madrid have clearly shown that Krakow aren't on their level."
Despite the goal's importance, Sky Sports tried to downplay it.
But Queiroz, watching closely, had a different view.
The deflection? Pure luck.
But Su Hang's positioning? That was no accident.
Opportunities favor those who are prepared.
The space Su Hang moved into was perfect—not only to receive Figo's cross but also to be the first line of pressure if the ball was lost.
It was a textbook example of intelligent positioning.
Only Su Hang and Zidane spotted it.
When Zidane saw Su Hang heading there, he instinctively filled a more concealed space nearby.
...
Halftime: 2-0.
Both teams returned to the locker rooms to make adjustments.
Krakow needed a way back.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, aimed to give more players match rhythm.
Those were Camacho's exact words.
He made three changes at the break:
Borja came on for Zidane.
Guti replaced Beckham.
Pavón subbed in for Samuel.
At first glance, everything looked normal.
But Zidane had been Su Hang's main midfield link.
Even Beckham, though playing deeper, had connected well with him several times.
And Samuel had been the standout defender of the half.
Camacho had essentially removed all the players who'd been playing well—and who had chemistry with Su Hang.
As expected, Real Madrid's second-half performance dropped noticeably.
Zidane had been the midfield brain.
Borja was more of a utility man.
And Guti's passing and defensive work didn't match Beckham's consistency.
In the 68th minute, Krakow earned three consecutive corner kicks.
Real Madrid's backline looked shaky.
Pavón's limitations, compared to Samuel, became obvious.
Then in the 74th minute, Borja sent a suicidal pass—risky and ill-timed.
Su Hang's ball control had never been his strength, and that kind of pass was asking too much.
The opponent snatched the ball off him and launched a smooth counterattack.
Pavón misread the play, and the striker finished easily.
2-1!
Krakow had pulled one back.
The 10,000 home fans went wild.
For them, this felt like the peak of their season.
They had breached Real Madrid's defense!
"Oh! Pavón has been dreadful today!"
"He's only been on for 20 minutes but has already made too many errors!"
"But the main culprit here is Su Hang. His ball control is terrible!"
"That whole counterattack started with him losing possession!"
Sky Sports completely ignored Borja's awful pass.
As Krakow celebrated, Su Hang approached Borja.
"Borja, don't force passes to me. Get the ball to the others more."
"I'm mainly here to draw attention from defenders."
Borja nodded, suddenly understanding.
He had a good relationship with Su Hang, so he kept trying to get him involved—but it had only made things harder.
In the 79th minute, Borja was surrounded in midfield.
Su Hang dropped back to offer support.
Borja passed it off to Su Hang and escaped the press.
Before the defenders could close in, Su Hang sent the ball back to Woodgate at center-back, then turned and sprinted forward.
Borja also made a run.
Woodgate passed to Guti.
And out of nowhere, Guti channeled his inner Beckham—launching a long ball toward the edge of the penalty area.
Guti's passes didn't usually match Beckham's precision.
But every so often, he'd pull off a stunner.
That's why they called him the "El Mago."
...