Mundo Deportivo: "Real Madrid's coaches and players lack the will to win—they're just going through the motions!"
When others say that, it's fine. But when Barcelona-affiliated media start talking, the attack is always sharp.
Would Su Hang take that lying down?
Clara's Column: "Barcelona didn't disgrace La Liga. A 0–0 draw away at Benfica was a stunning performance, bringing glory to Spanish football, right?"
"Barcelona's coaches and players are full of fighting spirit. They're not coasting through the season—they're just coasting through the scoreline!"
Barcelona's faces turned red.
That 0–0 away result wasn't much better than Real Madrid's 1–2 loss.
Real Madrid might have lost, but they secured a valuable away goal.
In a two-legged tie, that could actually be more beneficial than a draw.
Barcelona: ???
Barcelona: We draw and look weak, but you lose and somehow look strong?
Well then, since we've come this far...
Why not settle it head-on?
April 2nd, La Liga Matchday 31.
Real Madrid away against Barcelona!
El Clásico—fireworks guaranteed.
This time, both sides went all in.
Both teams still had Champions League matches coming up.
In the league, they were only three points apart.
One game could flip everything.
Real Madrid had the extra burden of the Copa del Rey, and their injury list was longer.
Barcelona, after resolving their internal chaos earlier in the season, were back in form—but they'd already suffered a defeat at the Bernabéu.
In short, this battle was too close to call.
After ninety minutes of intense play,
the match ended 2–2.
Real Madrid left Camp Nou unscathed,
snatching a precious point.
Barcelona held onto the top spot, denying Real Madrid the chance to overtake them.
And they gained something else.
They took down Beckham!
Marca: "Youngster Messi's tackle sparks controversy! Beckham ruled out of the second leg against Inter Milan due to injury!"
AS: "Victoria condemns Barcelona's reckless play—claiming they were trying to take David out!"
Sport: "Messi apologizes for Beckham's injury but insists he did nothing wrong—'This is El Clásico!'"
Mundo Deportivo: "Messi was fouled too, but he didn't get injured—that's down to physical strength. Real Madrid can't just blame Barcelona!"
In fact, after the match, Messi approached Su Hang asking for Beckham's contact info—he wanted to apologize privately.
But Sergio Ramos was there.
Ramos thought Messi was faking it and scolded him on the spot.
Motta, who was with Messi, got furious and argued with Ramos,
and the situation nearly turned into a tunnel brawl.
Su Hang never got the chance to give Messi Beckham's contact,
but he passed on the apology himself. Beckham said he understood.
His injury, truthfully, came from within.
The three-defensive-midfield setup didn't reduce Beckham's workload.
He still had to drift wide right to deliver crosses.
Worse, it made his defensive duties even heavier.
On the other side, Baptista faced the same problem—
larger coverage, more attacking runs, more two-way pressure.
They were the real engines of the formation.
Baptista, six years younger, had the physical edge.
Beckham, just shy of 31, could no longer run sixteen kilometers per match like he once could!
That record wouldn't be broken for another twenty years—by Croatia's Brozović.
Everyone could see it—Real Madrid was like a string pulled tight.
Not snapped yet,
but close.
And once it did, the whole thing could unravel!
In truth, this Real Madrid team should've gone trophyless again—
Champions League Round of 16, Copa del Rey semifinals, La Liga runners-up.
But under Su Hang's leadership, they surpassed all expectations.
If you asked Su Hang, he'd say he's satisfied with what they've achieved.
But that's exactly the problem.
A little success brings gratitude; too much brings resentment.
The atmosphere was already boiling.
If Real Madrid ended the season empty-handed, the fans would explode.
After all, second place is still the biggest loser.
And no one knew how far beyond their limits Real Madrid had already gone.
Su Hang was struggling!
If only someone could understand him...
...
"Ding! Real Madrid failed to win two consecutive crucial matches. Figo, unable to help the team, feels deeply guilty. He understands what you're feeling right now, but there's little more he can offer. This might be the last time."
"Ding! You've acquired the Left-Right Perfect Free Kick."
"Left-Right Perfect Free Kick: Superstar-level skill. There are countless free-kick specialists in football, but Figo and Roberto Carlos's combination was one of a kind."
"Your Shooting, Set Piece, Curve, and Power stats have increased."
"When teammates assist you in taking a free kick, your Shooting and Passing Accuracy receive a slight boost."
"When your assisting teammate uses a different dominant foot, your Free Kick ability receives a significant boost."
"When your assisting teammate belongs to the world's top full-back tier, you activate the special effect 'One-Step Free Kick'—you can score with 200% power from just one step of run-up."
Shooting: 81 → 82
Set Pieces: 81 → 85
Power: 75 → 78
Curve: 70
!!!
Now that's a true master!
Another Superstar Skill unlocked.
And these attribute boosts feel incredible.
Even the Curve stat has finally been unlocked.
That's a high-level attribute—not something ordinary players need, but essential for extraordinary ones.
Whether it's passing or shooting, curve makes all the difference.
Think of James Rodríguez's signature scimitar pass—it relies entirely on curve.
That kind of pass bends perfectly around defenders and lands right at a teammate's feet.
And when it comes to shooting, curved shots demand it even more.
Chip shots, curlers, outside-foot drives, dipping instep strikes—they all benefit from high curve.
This was an all-around upgrade.
But the most interesting part of this skill was the cooperation requirement.
It was the first skill that needed a partner.
Fittingly, it mirrored the legendary duo of Figo and Roberto Carlos.
Carlos blasted his cannons from deep; Figo delivered precise curlers up front.
Their unpredictability made them lethal—both could strike at any moment.
Many of their goals came from these dazzling combinations.
It showed just how stacked the Galácticos were when it came to free-kick takers.
Beckham, Carlos, Zidane, Figo—even Ronaldo had a mean free kick.
That alone was enough to intimidate any defender thinking of fouling.
If Ronaldo hadn't been so injury-prone in those two years,
Real Madrid's attack could've reached another level entirely.
Watching Inter Milan board their flight to Madrid on TV,
Su Hang knew.
The most important match of the season was about to begin.
Would they, like last year, defy the odds only to fall to fate in the next round?
Or would they break through again and reach the Champions League semifinals?
If it can happen twice, why not three or four times?
This could be the year Real Madrid's Champions League run goes all the way!
Real Madrid has lifted the Champions League before.
The Galácticos have already conquered Europe.
But this title—this one—would mean something more.
This could be the most historically significant Champions League ever!
Zidane's grand farewell.
Ronaldo's long-awaited dream come true.
The final climb to the summit for Figo, Roberto Carlos, and Raúl.
And above all—
Su Hang's perfect ending to his Galácticos chapter!