Liverpool's wall jumped for nothing.
On the left, Morientes saw the ball roll to Su Hang, positioned just to Beckham's right.
Su Hang met it cleanly with the instep of his right foot—
a thunderous strike!
His leg cracked like a whip.
The ball streaked like lightning.
A white flash shot past Morientes and into the net, splashing white ripples across the crowd.
This shot wasn't about finesse—it was all raw power!
Like a shooting drill with just a hint of angle.
The commentators froze.
No one had expected Beckham to play a tactical free kick.
This was Beckham's territory—almost like one of his penalties.
Even from a tough angle, he could usually conjure a chance.
But this time, he chose differently.
Cristiano Ronaldo: ???
Cristiano Ronaldo: I can feel a rival's presence!
"GOAL!"
"Two-all!"
"Incredible!"
"Su Hang! That's his second of the night!"
"Beckham set it up, but there was no discussion—no signal, no words exchanged!"
"That's the chemistry of Real Madrid's stars up front!"
"Brilliant!"
"Real Madrid have equalized! At home, they've shown fighting spirit and resilience!"
"The much-debated Su Hang has silenced his critics with a stellar display, while Harry Kewell, one of his biggest doubters, was subbed off early."
"If the game ended now, Su Hang would surely be Man of the Match!"
With so many Liverpool players crowding the box, chasing the ball again risked Su Hang being swarmed.
So, after scoring, he immediately turned and sprinted toward the corner flag.
His teammates followed.
The Liverpool penalty area, moments ago packed with chaos, was now left to a handful of slumped, red-shirted players.
Su Hang raised a finger, calling the stadium's attention.
Then he leapt into the air.
He spun 180 degrees mid-flight and landed heavily, arms down by his sides.
He looked like a god descending to earth.
The Bernabéu roared with him as one: "Siuuuuu!"
The ground shook.
The few Liverpool away fans who had traveled across continents were stunned.
The atmosphere was terrifying—deathly pale, demonic.
Was this really the Bernabéu, the stadium so often quick to turn on its own?
"Oh! Su Hang has brought back his trademark celebration!"
"It's been a long time since we've seen his siu!"
"People said he'd gone missing, but when Su Hang rises to the occasion, he dominates everything you see!"
"What a match! Liverpool have been excellent, but Real Madrid have shown their pedigree—unyielding resilience!"
"Here comes a Liverpool substitution."
"Robbie Fowler comes on for the beanpole striker Crouch. With Morientes already handling Pavón, Fowler adds firepower."
"Robbie Fowler, known as the 'Genius Assassin,' once formed a lethal partnership with Michael Owen—scoring freely for both club and country."
"Unfortunately, injuries plagued him, his fragile body holding him back from greater heights. Even so, his killer instinct remains sharp!"
Throughout football history, there have been many types of strikers.
Pelé, Maradona, Cruyff, Rummenigge, Klinsmann, Eusébio, Ronaldo, Shevchenko, Crespo, Henry, Trezeguet, Inzaghi…
All different in style, yet all shared one defining trait: goal-scoring instinct.
No matter how quiet they seemed, these players could suddenly change the score.
In truth, Su Hang also carried that assassin's instinct.
His sense for goal was razor sharp.
...
The intensity rose, challenges grew harsher.
Both teams believed the match was theirs to win.
71st minute.
Morientes dropped back to receive, but Baptista fouled him from behind.
The referee showed Baptista a yellow card—his second foul of that kind after an earlier warning.
With Baptista as Real Madrid's only defensive midfielder, the card left them vulnerable.
77th minute.
Beckham delivered a pinpoint cross from the wing.
Su Hang rose above Carragher and headed toward goal—
but the ball crashed against the crossbar!
Carragher hadn't lost his position entirely, and his presence forced Su Hang off balance, robbing him of full power.
82nd minute.
After ten minutes of fierce battling, both sides slowed, bodies drained, needing a brief lull.
The tempo dipped.
Then Liverpool's deep-lying playmaker Xabi Alonso reset the rhythm with a long pass from deep, sparking a new attack.
Morientes dropped back, contested the aerial ball with Baptista, and won the header.
He flicked it on.
Robbie Fowler broke through in a flash—suddenly one-on-one!
"Here he is! The Genius Assassin!"
"A golden chance!"
"Fowler hasn't done much since coming on, but this—this is his moment!"
"Casillas charges out!"
"Fowler shoots!"
"GOAL!"
"Robbie Fowler! One-on-one finish! That's the deadly instinct of a natural-born scorer!"
"3–2! Liverpool take the lead again!"
"This could be the winner! A clinical strike from England's deadliest predator!"
"Real Madrid once had Michael Owen, taking away Liverpool's most dangerous striker. Now another of Liverpool's great forwards punishes Real Madrid in return!"
"Liverpool are ready to take the victory from here!"
The Reds erupted—players, substitutes, and coaches all surged to the corner flag to celebrate wildly.
This was the spirit of the Istanbul Miracle makers!
Never give up, never surrender!
"Benítez has made three changes tonight. The first two backfired."
"But his last substitution has restored his reputation as a tactical genius!"
"Bringing on Fowler was nothing short of brilliant!"
The Bernabéu fell silent.
Eighty-two minutes played. 3–2.
The scoreline was daunting.
87th minute.
Robinho, desperate to make an impact, tried to dribble through on the left, attempting to beat his man with flashy moves.
But Finnan stole it cleanly.
Robinho lashed out, shoving and kicking, earning himself a yellow card.
Liverpool players swarmed him, stirring trouble, demanding action.
But their real aim was to waste time.
Su Hang spotted their plan and pulled Robinho away.
Then Cassano rushed in to argue with the Liverpool players, handing them even more time.
Finally, around the 90th minute, play resumed.
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
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