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...
This was a major defensive error.
But it was also tied to Arsenal pressing too high up the pitch.
Figo broke free, racing toward the ball, about to burst into the penalty area.
Arsenal's goalkeeper Lehmann, however, showed foresight and rushed out early.
Yet Lehmann misjudged the distance of Figo's chip.
He had intended to dive for the ball, hoping to reach it before Figo.
But with the ball still two meters from the box, he couldn't use his hands.
Already committed to the dive, he twisted mid-air, trying awkwardly to block the ball with his body.
It was a clumsy adjustment—only his side and thigh had any chance to make contact.
That brief hesitation was all Figo needed.
Thud!
Figo chipped the ball over Lehmann and leapt.
Panicking, Lehmann reached out and grabbed Figo's foot.
Figo crashed to the ground.
In the next instant, Su Hang rushed in from behind, caught up to the ball, and hammered a shot!
"GOAL!"
"Su Hang! Su Hang again!"
"Eleven goals! Su Hang's Champions League tally this season is… wait, disallowed?"
"Oh! The referee ruled that Su Hang shot after the whistle, so the goal doesn't count."
"The Real Madrid players didn't immediately swarm the referee because he was walking toward Lehmann."
"Red card! The referee shows Lehmann a red card!"
"My goodness! That's unbelievable!"
"In fact, Lehmann did touch the ball, though he fouled Figo afterward… Since Su Hang had already scored, the simpler solution would've been to allow the goal and give Lehmann a yellow card."
"I think both sides would've accepted that more easily."
"But the referee ruled Lehmann's foul came first, nullified the goal, and—because he denied a clear scoring chance—gave a harsher punishment: a red card. It's technically justified, but honestly… unnecessary."
Commentators across the board expressed doubt about the referee's decision.
Still, from the referee's perspective, the logic was defensible.
The problem was, he pleased no one.
Real Madrid were understandably furious about their disallowed goal.
Playing with an extra man is an advantage, sure—but look at Inter Milan's last match!
Inter Milan: unbelievable!
For Arsenal, conceding a goal would've been better than losing a man.
It was only the 18th minute—with stoppage time, nearly eighty minutes still to play. How were they supposed to survive that long with ten men?
The fans weren't happy either—ten versus eleven just isn't as thrilling as an even contest.
UEFA couldn't have been pleased either; the decision made the result far too predictable.
And the big-money sponsors and betting syndicates? They'd lose millions!
Bottom line: Real Madrid seem cursed.
Either one of their own gets sent off early, or the opposition does.
They just can't finish a match without chaos, can they?
If there's no drama, they'll make some.
This red card delivered a crushing blow to Arsenal.
Wenger's tactical setup was in ruins.
Goalkeeper Almunia came on to replace Pires.
Pires looked grim—no one wants to be subbed off in such an important match—but he knew it was the right move.
Now Arsenal weren't just down a man—they'd also lost a substitution.
The camera cut to Bergkamp.
The Flying Dutchman had made the long trip to Madrid, but his chances of playing now were slim.
From that moment, Real Madrid took complete control of the game.
In the 21st minute, Cassano collected a pass from Figo and unleashed a powerful shot, forcing a corner.
In the 24th minute, Figo's cross-shot deceived goalkeeper Almunia, who hesitated to commit.
Cassano pounced on the moment at the far post, taking a shot.
But Almunia spun around in time to make a save, blocking it brilliantly.
Thud!
Figo followed up with a rebound strike.
The ball rippled the net.
"GOAL!"
"It's in! This time it really counts!"
"But it's not Su Hang—it's Figo!"
"Without question, Figo has been the standout player tonight. His dribbling has constantly tormented Arsenal."
"Lehmann's red card was also caused by Figo. Hard to believe he's thirty-four—he looks as sharp as ever, just like when he first joined Real Madrid!"
1–0, and Real Madrid now led in the second leg.
Arsenal would need two goals just to equalize.
But unless you're Real Madrid, scoring twice while a man down is nearly impossible.
They didn't have Ronaldo or Su Hang.
In the 30th minute, Gilberto Silva fouled a surging Figo and was shown a yellow card.
As mentioned earlier, the referee's whistle was tight tonight—bad news for defenders.
And Arsenal were all defense now.
Some Arsenal fans blasted the referee, calling him biased and claiming Real Madrid were the referee's team.
But the referee had set his standard early—and Real Madrid were the first to feel it.
As long as he stayed consistent, there was no question of bias.
Arsenal were simply unlucky.
In the 37th minute, Cesc Fàbregas seized a rare counterattack and won a promising free kick.
Arsenal threw everyone forward, treating the opportunity with utmost seriousness.
If they scored, they'd park the bus and hold out until the closing minutes before going all out again.
It was their only realistic chance to win.
Thud!
Fàbregas took the free kick.
His target was the towering "Black Tower," Sol Campbell, known for his aerial power.
Unfortunately, the equally imposing "The Beast," Baptista, had already been assigned to mark him under Su Hang's direction, and cleared it early.
Roberto Carlos pushed forward with the ball.
Ljungberg immediately slid in to tackle.
Both players went down together.
It was clearly a yellow-card challenge.
But the referee signaled advantage—Su Hang had already regained control of the ball.
Su Hang took a touch, lifted his head, and surveyed the attacking third.
Figo made a run ahead!
Fàbregas quickly positioned himself to cut off Su Hang's path.
Arsenal had studied Su Hang's playing habits in detail.
Most of his dribbles were straight-line runs, especially when far from the box.
His timing was excellent, but his footwork lacked finesse—his touch wasn't smooth.
If you stayed off him, applied pressure, and blocked his path, you could slow him down.
But get too close, and you'd fall right into his physical game.
Fàbregas became Arsenal's core because his intelligence, skill, and physique were all top-tier.
Thud!
The ball zipped past Fàbregas.
He froze.
This…
A pass?
That's impossible!
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
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