He pounced on it!
This was all thanks to Su Hang's vision.
He had already spotted Buffon charging out and Cannavaro closing in from behind. He knew he didn't have enough time to control the ball. He had to race against the clock.
At that moment, Buffon hadn't fully gone to ground. His hips were still about twenty centimeters above the turf.. The ball slipped cleanly through his legs.
The next second, Su Hang went tumbling. Cannavaro had slid in from behind, bringing him down. He'd rather give Real Madrid a penalty than allow a direct goal.
But both Su Hang, twisting in midair, and Buffon, sitting on the grass, kept their eyes locked on the goal.
Only when the ball finally crossed the line did they breathe again.
Buffon collapsed on the pitch. He was beaten!
Su Hang, knocked over by Cannavaro, rolled and leapt back to his feet, sprinting toward the corner flag. That was where the few Real Madrid fans in the stadium had gathered.
"GOAL!"
"It's in!"
"Su Hang! A last-second strike!"
"This is the real decider!"
"A priceless goal! Because it's an away goal!"
"The aggregate score is now 2–2! But with the away-goal advantage, Real Madrid edges ahead of Juventus!"
"The Champions League quarterfinals—Real Madrid are about to step into the last eight!"
"They're about to knock out Juventus!"
"This feels like a dream!"
"The Stadio delle Alpi has fallen silent! The Juventus fans can't believe it!"
"In stoppage time, Su Hang tore past Emerson, Tacchinardi, and Cannavaro with blistering speed, then beat Buffon one-on-one!"
"A nutmeg finish! Through the keeper's legs and into the net!"
"Unbelievable!"
"White-Clad God of Death! He's conquered the Alps!"
On camera, Su Hang wagged his finger, then leapt into the air. He spun 180 degrees midair, showing the world his jersey number and name.
All the Real Madrid fans roared with him in unison:
"Siuuuuuuu!"
Moments later, a swarm of Real Madrid players rushed over, surrounding him. But this time, no one dared to pile on too hard. Everyone feared injuring him again.
Zidane even asked first if Su Hang was okay, since he had just been hacked down by Cannavaro.
Su Hang assured them he was fine.
In truth, Cannavaro had pulled back. His intention was only to bring Su Hang down, not to injure him, so he hadn't gone in full force. He had even cushioned the challenge slightly to prevent Su Hang from crashing hard onto the ground.
Still, it didn't change the fact that his foul was serious.
While Real Madrid celebrated wildly, the referee walked over to Cannavaro and showed him a red card.
Cannavaro left the pitch with his head down.
Juventus barely restarted before the final whistle blew.
The match ended with Juventus beating Real Madrid 2–1. But the aggregate score stood at 2–2, and Real Madrid advanced on away goals.
The Stadio delle Alpi was drowned in sorrow. Juventus's greatest dream of the season had been shattered.
On the other side, Real Madrid were euphoric. Zidane, Figo, Beckham, Raúl, Guti and the others embraced passionately.
Luxemburgo celebrated too, alongside Roberto Carlos, Samuel, and others, though they couldn't break into the circle around Su Hang.
...
After Real Madrid's celebrations settled, Buffon walked over.
"Congratulations," Buffon said. "You played really well today."
Su Hang shook his hand politely. "You too. Juventus is strong—I hope you win the league title."
Buffon tugged at his shirt. "Want to swap? I want to remember this goal I conceded today forever. It's a painful one for me."
Su Hang pulled off his own jersey and handed it over. "Of course. I'm lucky to have yours."
After exchanging compliments, they both headed into the players' tunnel.
The media was already waiting eagerly. Reporters rushed forward.
"Zidane," one asked, "what are your thoughts on being substituted so early?"
Zidane replied, "That was Luxemburgo's decision. As a player, I respect it." His tone made it clear—he addressed Luxemburgo directly by name.
"Beckham, were you satisfied with being taken off early?"
"As long as the team wins, it's fine. But… I'll just say this: thankfully, we have Su!"
"Figo, you were excellent again today. What helped you regain your form?"
"It's Su Hang. He talks with me a lot about dribbling, and he always has something new that surprises me."
The Real Madrid stars sounded almost like a chorus, showering Su Hang with praise.
Raúl: "Su Hang has great leadership. Giving him the captain's armband was the right decision—especially when the team is behind."
Guti: "He absolutely deserves the armband. In fact, his influence on the game is even greater than the armband itself, in my opinion."
But among the South American players, regardless of how they felt about Su Hang, credit had to go to Luxemburgo.
Samuel: "Su's performance was the key, of course. But Luxemburgo's command was just as important."
Roberto Carlos, clearly unhappy with Samuel's measured answer, said in his interview: "Luxemburgo is the only reason we won. We played exactly as he set us up, and the victory came naturally!"
Gravesen, one of Luxemburgo's trusted players: "He's a great coach. We're confident we can go far under his leadership!"
Raúl Bravo, the young local defender promoted by Luxemburgo: "Real Madrid is on the right path. Luxemburgo knows how to lead us to victory, and I'm very confident about this season."
...
Sometimes, when it comes to credit, you can't just listen to your own teammates.
You have to see what the opponents say.
If the opponent has poor character, the player they hate most is usually your biggest hero.
If the opponent has good character, the player they praise is your true hero.
And the Juventus stars had good reputations.
Buffon: "Su is the most clinical forward I've ever faced. He doesn't shoot often, but when he does, it's lethal. I can't complain about losing this time. But next time, I won't lose!"
Cannavaro: "The moment I slid in from behind, I knew I'd get a card. But I never expected Su to ignore the penalty I handed him. That's when I saw the true spirit of a forward in him."
...
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