Real Madrid had just been caught by Barcelona.
The gap between them was now only one point, and the top spot could change at any moment.
To make matters worse, Owen had been injured in the last match.
A youth academy midfielder who came on as a substitute played him a suicidal pass, forcing Owen into a direct collision with the opposing defender.
With his slight build, Owen didn't stand a chance in that clash.
He was carried off on a stretcher.
Clara was the first to publish a piece in Marca questioning Luxemburgo's decisions:
"Not every academy graduate is a Su Hang.
Queiroz discovered Su Hang, and Simon truly unleashed him. But in order to make people forget his predecessor, Luxemburgo has been forcing new players into the spotlight.
The harsh truth is—there can only be one crown prince.
Su Hang became Real Madrid's crown prince not because he was the only youth player, but because he was the best of them all!
I hope Luxemburgo stops using academy players to rotate with starters. It disrupts the team's chemistry.
These players will have bright futures, but not right now. Throwing them in too early is only harming them!
Lastly, I'm giving Luxemburgo a serious warning! Su Hang's injury is nearly healed. To be safe, you had better bring Su Hang to Turin this time.
He's your only salvation! He'll be the one to save you—understand?"
Clara's words were harsh, but Real Madrid fans applauded her.
Even though Luxemburgo was furious, he couldn't help but consider the suggestion.
The Champions League was a top priority for Real Madrid.
If they were knocked out, even if Luxemburgo kept his job, the authority he had built with that winning streak would vanish.
In the end, Real Madrid announced their squad for the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16—Su Hang was included!
That was enough to calm the fans.
—March 9th, Champions League Round of 16, second leg.
Real Madrid flew to Turin a day early.
Juventus' home ground, the Stadio delle Alpi, was built for the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy.
It seated about 70,000, but it wasn't a purpose-built football stadium—there was a running track between the stands and the pitch, pushing fans further away and dulling the atmosphere.
Turin itself wasn't a very big city, so even for a giant like Juventus, the stadium was often not full.
But today would be different.
Juventus vs. Real Madrid—two heavyweights collide!
On the scoreboard, Juventus were trailing 0–1 and on the brink.
Yet after the first leg, many believed Real Madrid had looked shaky, and Juventus had a great chance to win.
This is the kind of match fans love—where anything can happen.
In terms of storylines, it was a meeting between:
Serie A's dominant force vs. La Liga's top team.
The league that once ruled the world vs. the league rising to the top.
And of course—Real Madrid had once poached Juventus' brightest star... Zidane.
Time to settle the score.
Starting line-ups:
Juventus
Trezeguet, Ibrahimovic
Zambrotta, Del Piero, Camoranesi
Emerson
Pesotto, Cannavaro, Thuram, Zebina
Buffon
Real Madrid
Ronaldo, Raúl
Zidane, Figo, Beckham
Gravesen
Roberto Carlos, Samuel, Helguera, Raúl Bravo
Casillas
Both sides lined up in a 4-1-3-2.
The difference? Juventus' wide men played as true wing-backs—five at the back without the ball, then flying forward like wingers in possession. Classic Serie A.
That kind of system demanded exceptional all-around skill: defending, attacking, pace, dribbling, passing, and shooting—mastery of it all. Few teams had such a pair. Juventus did. Zambrotta and Camoranesi were both among the best.
By contrast, Real Madrid's 4-1-3-2 was full of compromises.
Right-back Raúl Bravo was actually a center-back by trade, so he couldn't push up to support the attack. That left the right flank toothless.
Beckham's only option with the ball was to cross—there was no variety.
Roberto Carlos, Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo, Raúl, even Beckham—were all attacking stars.
Defensive midfield duties fell solely to Gravesen, and he wasn't an elite holding midfielder.
Juventus' Emerson was clearly superior in that role.
Target Bravo and Gravesen long enough, and Real Madrid would eventually crack.
Juventus had found those weaknesses late in the first leg—this time, they'd likely break through even sooner.
Still, after the first match, Real Madrid had nearly two weeks to patch the holes. It wouldn't be that easy.
In the first half, despite several scares, the grit of Samuel and Helguera—and Beckham's total sacrifice of attacking play for defensive work—helped Madrid survive.
Halftime: 0–0.
In the second half, things only got worse for Madrid.
Juventus' relentless attacks had Bravo and Gravesen hanging by a thread.
Even Zidane dropped deep into his own half to defend.
Raúl frequently retreated to midfield to help out.
Real Madrid offered almost nothing going forward.
Luxemburgo couldn't replace Gravesen or Bravo—they were already his best available options there.
He kept urging Zidane to organize play and push the ball into Juventus' half.
But Zidane wasn't buying it.
Attacking isn't something you can just switch on.
You can't go forward unless you first withstand the pressure.
Right now, without Zidane, Raúl, Figo, and Beckham all dropping back, Madrid wouldn't survive Juventus' initial push.
Pushing up now would be gifting Juventus a goal.
When it became clear Zidane wasn't budging, Luxemburgo made his move in the 74th minute—subbing off the French maestro for Guti.
Zidane's face instantly darkened.
From the bench, Su Hang saw Luxemburgo reaching out to Zidane as if to shake hands. He knew trouble was coming.
Unbelievable!
Taking Zizou off first—and expecting a handshake? Forget it!
"Hey, Zizou, don't worry! This isn't your fault!" Su Hang rushed from the bench to the sideline, cutting in before Luxemburgo could get to Zidane.
...
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