Whether it was forcing Terry into a back pass or anticipating Cech's fake clearance, it required exceptional vision to pull off.
But the thing is—this guy had even been caught offside before against Chelsea's deep defensive line.
That shows his vision isn't as sharp as it should be.
And honestly, his overall ability isn't that strong.
Yet in this match… he scored twice, assisted twice, and was involved in every single Real Madrid goal.
That was nothing short of unbelievable.
Mourinho now finally understood why, after he had beaten Queiroz's Manchester United in the league and celebrated wildly, Queiroz had warned him to be careful—saying Su Hang would teach him a lesson.
That lesson had now arrived.
...
The result of the match instantly made front-page headlines across the global sports media.
Because with this game, the four Champions League semifinalists were confirmed.
"Real Madrid stun Chelsea with a last-minute winner to claim the final Champions League semifinal spot!"
"AC Milan, Liverpool, PSV Eindhoven, and Real Madrid! The semifinal lineup is set—far different from pre-season predictions!"
"This Crown Prince is the real deal! Real Madrid's Su Hang with two goals and two assists, single-handedly topples Mourinho, the Champions League master!"
"The true giant defeats the pretender! Su Hang named Man of the Match, dealing Abramovich a fatal blow!"
"This is the Galácticos! Real Madrid's stoppage-time winner creates another Champions League classic!"
"Mourinho's substitutions spark controversy! Taking off Drogba too early removed Real Madrid's biggest concern and let them throw everything into attack!"
"Mourinho underestimated Real Madrid's superstars! When they put all their focus on scoring, they were unstoppable!"
"Turning the tide, the Crown Prince becomes immortal! Su Hang has now saved Real Madrid three times in this Champions League campaign!"
"The king of last-minute winners! Su Hang has scored more decisive goals for Real Madrid this season than anyone else!"
"Su Hang even influenced the substitutions! Insiders reveal that bringing on Guti was actually his suggestion!"
"Raúl: Putting Guti on was definitely a controversial call, but we backed Su Hang 100%! And the result proved him right!"
...
After the match, Chelsea's players faced the media.
Drogba: "We made a mistake. We thought our biggest threats would be Ronaldo or Zidane, but it turned out to be Su Hang! He completely changed the game. He's the kind of player who decides matches!"
Makélélé: "I see traits in Su Hang similar to myself. His defending is excellent. Did he use to play as a defensive midfielder or a center back?"
"His tackles were razor-sharp—we really suffered because of them."
"And offensively, he's incredibly versatile—he can even deliver dangerous crosses from the wing!"
"I think Su Hang has the foundation to become the perfect player. I rate him very highly! I hope Real Madrid can go even further in the Champions League."
Lampard: "It's unbelievable. Su Hang was hands down the Man of the Match. It's hard to believe a player like that is only nineteen years old!"
Chelsea's players were completely convinced.
They had no complaints left.
It just felt unreal.
But Mourinho, ever the outspoken "Special One," didn't change his style:
"In this match we didn't do well in some areas, while Real Madrid did, so they won."
"We still need more familiarity and cohesion—it's not something that happens overnight. Of course, we won't wallow in this defeat. Next year we'll be stronger, but Real Madrid might not be."
"Yes, they have rising stars like Su Hang, but most of their big names are aging. That gives us an opportunity. If we get the chance, we'll step over Real Madrid's corpse and go further in the Champions League!"
"And as for Luxemburgo—he's not even a good coach. Neither he nor Real Madrid's players are the best anymore. Starting next season, they could be out of the quarterfinals or semifinals for years."
Luxemburgo quickly fired back:
"I've led teams to over a dozen trophies. And him? He's only been around for a few years."
"Everyone has their moment, but decades of coaching experience can't be replaced by a year or two of good fortune."
"Mourinho's defensive tactics are an insult to football. He doesn't deserve to be a head coach."
"And his players—what a pity. They'll never achieve the stats they deserve. Their talent and gifts are being wasted by Mourinho!"
The two coaches went at each other fiercely.
But when reporters asked Luxemburgo about the decision to bring on Guti, he suddenly went silent.
He pretended not to hear the question.
...
Meanwhile, the man of the match, Su Hang, was surrounded by reporters.
Reporter: "Su Hang, are you satisfied with your performance today?"
Su Hang: "Extremely satisfied."
Reporter: "Did you expect to perform like this?"
Su Hang: "I had thought about it, but I didn't expect things to turn out so… strange. Chelsea are a very strong opponent. To beat them is already difficult, and we also had to find ways to score more goals—that was a huge challenge. But I'm grateful to my teammates. They're the best partners in the world, and they can change any situation!"
Reporter: "It's said that putting Guti at right back was your idea?"
Su Hang smiled: "Well, I wouldn't put it like that. I just made a suggestion. Zidane, Raúl, Figo, Beckham—they all agreed it could work. They were the ones who really withstood the pressure and made the decision. So I think they're the true heroes. Of course, Guti himself too—he showed with his performance that he can always be trusted."
As for whose pressure they withstood… those who know, know.
Reporter: "We noticed that before the last two goals, you made some very strong defensive plays—interceptions, tackles, especially sliding tackles. How did you develop such excellent defensive skills?"
Su Hang shook his head: "No, please don't say that. I don't have excellent defensive skills. I know what people want to hear, but that wouldn't be fair to real defenders."
"Helguera, Casillas, Roberto Carlos, Samuel, Gravesen, Guti… even our attacking players contributed defensively."
"I was just luckier, and what I did may have stood out more. But it's like eating—you can't just say the last bite filled you up and the rest didn't matter."
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
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