This decision was almost impossible to believe.
What difference was there between this and asking Ronaldo to play as a Defensive Midfielder?
Ronaldo was the world's best striker, but as a holding midfielder, he wouldn't even rank among second- or third-tier players.
This was reality, not a video game.
You can't just drop a high-rated player anywhere and expect him to perform.
"Su, are you sure?" Zidane walked up to Su Hang and asked.
"Absolutely," Su Hang nodded. "If we don't draw them out, we'll never score five goals in this match."
"No guts, no glory!"
"Stay ready to hit them on the counter at any moment!"
From a logical standpoint, Zidane believed that if counterattacks were the plan, then a proper holding midfielder like Celades made far more sense than Su Hang.
But his instincts told him… if Su said it, maybe—just maybe—it could work.
Zidane turned and went back to his position.
At that moment, a thunderous sound echoed in Su Hang's mind.
"Ding! You have activated the Moment Card: Makélélé 2002!"
The card was activated!
Su Hang looked up.
What had seemed like ordinary positioning from his teammates now appeared in his eyes as glaring defensive gaps.
For all their attacking power, Real Madrid's defense had too many holes.
Everyone had long said that Makélélé's departure had left the Galácticos without a backbone.
And without a backbone, how could the team generate strength?
But now… Su Hang was about to prove otherwise.
Real Madrid's backbone had returned!
Boom!
Zaragoza weren't about to give Madrid time to think.
Whatever formation they arranged, the messier, the better.
Ideally, Su Hang would be their goalkeeper. Then Zaragoza could shoot at will.
Even with Su Hang in midfield, they thought, it was almost as good—any pass would cut right through Madrid's defense.
But with Su Hang anchoring the middle, Zidane and Guti pushed higher up.
That made Madrid's attack even sharper, denying Zaragoza any chance to counter.
It wasn't until the 70th minute that Zaragoza finally managed to break free.
Their number 10 midfielder cleared the ball out of pressure.
Number 7 carried it forward, leading the counterattack.
Zaragoza's star, David Villa, made a brilliant run behind the line.
Inspired, their number 7 attempted a perfect through ball.
That combination—one run, one pass—was enough to tear open Madrid's exposed backline.
And with Villa's one-on-one finishing, the odds of him beating Casillas were high.
...
But that was only if the ball got through.
Thud!
Before the pass could even be released, Su Hang, who had been tracking vertically, suddenly cut across laterally and intercepted it cleanly.
It looked for all the world like Zaragoza's number 7 had passed the ball directly to his feet.
"What the...?"
"Su Hang intercepted it?"
"Unbelievable! Zaragoza's number 7 just gave the ball away!"
"Su Hang looks a little surprised himself—he probably never expected it to play out like this."
The ball bounced a meter in front of Su Hang.
For a moment, he hesitated.
Players from both sides closed in on him.
Zaragoza wanted to press him and regain possession.
Zidane and Guti rushed back to offer support, ready to reorganize the attack.
Zidane even pointed to the left, signaling Su Hang to play it safe with a back pass to Samuel.
After all, everyone knew Su Hang wasn't the best with the ball at his feet.
But then—
Thud!
Su Hang reached the ball and launched a booming long pass.
It soared high over midfield, straight toward Zaragoza's penalty area.
"This... is a long ball? Su Hang launched it directly from deep!"
"Soldado! He times his run perfectly, breaking the offside trap as Zaragoza's backline switches off for a split second!"
"Su Hang was waiting for Soldado's movement!"
"Soldado controls it beautifully!"
"One-on-one with the keeper!"
"He shoots!"
"Goal!"
"Two-nil!"
"Su Hang intercepts and launches a pinpoint long ball! Soldado breaks the offside trap and scores!"
"The gap in goal difference with Barcelona is now down to three!"
"Real Madrid haven't given up yet!"
Overjoyed, Soldado spread his arms to celebrate.
As a substitute, chances to play were rare—scoring was even rarer.
But Raúl wasn't having it.
He dashed into the net, grabbed the ball, and sprinted back.
Madrid had to make the most of every second.
That display fired Zaragoza up.
The few home fans in the stands began chanting Villa's name.
Zaragoza needed a hero.
It was time for Villa to show Madrid just how dangerous Zaragoza could be.
Neither side was wrong.
But standing on opposite ends, some conflicts could never be reconciled.
After the restart, Zaragoza pressed forward aggressively.
And with Madrid's defensive balance weakened, they actually struggled to win the ball back.
That gave Zaragoza their chance.
77th minute.
Zaragoza's number 10 and number 7 combined brilliantly, carving open Madrid's right side and slipping the ball to Villa.
At the top of the box, Villa feinted left and right.
He wasn't tall, but his skill set was complete—clinical finishing, excellent footwork.
One sharp feint sent the nervous Helguera crashing to the turf.
Villa wound up for the shot.
Thud!
Su Hang, sprinting back, slid in from behind.
At the very instant Villa struck, Su Hang stretched out a leg and blocked the shot.
The ball cannoned off his foot, lost all power, and bounced weakly.
Casillas collected it safely.
And with no hesitation, he punted it long.
Villa waved at the referee, appealing for a foul, but Su Hang was already back on his feet, racing forward again. Time was everything.
"Oh! Su Hang with a world-class block!"
"He just saved Real Madrid! At this point, they can't afford to concede even once!"
"Since his return, Salgado hasn't looked sharp—his defensive issues are a problem."
"Helguera has been Madrid's most consistent defender this season, but he's running on fumes."
"He clearly couldn't keep up with Villa just now."
The commentator hadn't even finished when a roar swept the stadium.
Casillas' long clearance had been flicked on by Soldado at the first touch.
Zidane took control, then chipped a pass toward Raúl.
With his back to goal, Raúl let the ball run and flicked it perfectly into Zidane's path—an exquisite one-two.
Zidane surged into the box, met the ball, and let fly.
The shot rocketed into the top corner!
"GOAL! Three-nil!"
"Zizou! Zizou!"
"That's the brilliance of the world's best midfielder, Zinedine Zidane!"
"Zidane and Raúl combine to slice through Zaragoza and give Real Madrid their third of the night!"