When both sides returned from halftime, the match took on a different tone.
But compared to Real Madrid—who had made three substitutions—Espanyol held the psychological advantage.
To them, this could only mean one thing: Capello was unhappy with Real Madrid's first-half performance.
Otherwise, why replace so many key players at once?
And all of them were big names.
During the first five minutes of the second half, Real Madrid were clearly the side under pressure.
Espanyol looked energized, kept the ball longer, and attempted more attacks.
Emerson curled his lips on the bench.
So Zidane isn't that amazing after all.
How is he any different?
The attack looks just as toothless as before.
But for Zidane, these five minutes weren't about results—they were about integration.
About testing everything he'd observed from the bench in the first half.
In the 51st minute, Zidane received the ball in midfield and immediately performed a lateral Marseille Turn to evade Espanyol's press. Without hesitation, he sent a direct through ball forward.
Almost at that exact instant, Su Hang burst ahead with a perfectly timed reverse-offside run.
A reverse-offside run is a technique where—for that split moment before you sprint forward—a Forward actually steps back two strides.
It positions you slightly deeper at the moment of acceleration, reducing the chance of being flagged offside.
Many top-level Forwards in the future will make those two backward steps instinctively before launching.
But that doesn't mean reverse-offside runs are automatically onside.
Whoosh!
Su Hang exploded forward like an arrow released from its bow, his explosiveness unleashed to perfection.
He knew that the moment he took off, the ball would be arriving.
Zidane's through ball was sharper than a surgeon's scalpel—perfect both in angle and timing.
And unlike Emerson's passes earlier, this one wasn't ridiculously long.
Just as Su Hang's speed was reaching maximum, the ball began slowing, letting him catch it seamlessly.
Man and ball entered the box together.
One-on-one!
Thud!
Su Hang fired with his right foot, blasting the ball toward the near post.
By the time the Espanyol goalkeeper reacted, Su Hang had already turned around, looking for Zidane—
because there was absolutely no doubt this was a goal.
"GOAL!"
"Su Hang again! A brace!"
"Two–one! Su Hang puts Real Madrid in front!"
"With Zidane on the pitch, Su Hang has been completely unleashed—his off-the-ball movement is far more decisive than in the first half!"
"Su Hang's finishing is elite, every bit as sharp as Van Nistelrooy's. Choosing the near post was both bold and brilliant—the ball scraped past the post on its way in!"
"Fans, celebrate! We are witnessing the miracle of the strongest number 10 this new football era has ever known—and the future strongest number 9 performing together!"
The stadium thundered with applause.
Su Hang and Zidane embraced.
Zidane: "Nice run."
Su Hang: "Not bad pass."
With a shared smile, they returned to their positions.
...
In the 58th minute, Roberto Carlos took a throw-in.
Su Hang held off his marker, received the ball, and laid it back to Zidane.
Zidane didn't even glance up—he just launched a long diagonal pass to the right flank.
Modrić, watching from the bench, froze in awe.
Such a fast transition.
Such a perfect switch of play.
That pass was beautiful.
He was already completely immersed in Zidane's style.
On the right side, Robinho received the pass with a wide-open sprint lane.
He drove to the byline, used a series of stepovers to shake off the defender, and whipped in an excellent cross.
Unfortunately, he used one stepover too many.
The defender recovered and cleared the ball.
Corner kick.
In the ensuing corner, Van Nistelrooy committed an offensive foul, wasting the opportunity.
"Van Nistelrooy's move was indeed a foul—though in the Premier League, it might not have been."
"And that's exactly what he needs to adjust. He's in La Liga now, not the Premier League."
"This is the beauty of technical football. Hopefully Van Nistelrooy can adapt quickly—just like Su Hang has."
Van Nistelrooy: ???
...
In the 63rd minute, Zidane and Su Hang exchanged a quick Wall Pass, with Zidane drifting wide left and Su Hang charging into space. Their attacking intention was unmistakable.
Roberto Carlos overlapped on the left, but Espanyol followed him closely, forcing him to lay the ball back to Zidane.
Thud!
Zidane, without controlling the ball, sent another first-time pass—
this time using the outside of his right foot.
A sudden, rhythm-breaking pass.
Espanyol's entire penalty area descended into chaos.
Van Nistelrooy was wrestling fiercely with his defender, but Su Hang burst into the box right after, taking pressure off him.
Su Hang attacked the near post; Van Nistelrooy battled for the central position.
The pass seemed initially aimed for the center—
but due to Zidane's technique, the ball dipped sharply as it neared the near-post zone.
It drifted toward Su Hang instead.
Espanyol's defender clung to Su Hang, slowing him down, leaving him just short of reaching the ball.
If it slipped past, the chance would fall to Van Nistelrooy—
who had already won position, pinned the Center Back, and lifted his leg to shoot.
Thud!
Su Hang dove forward—
hurling his entire body into the air.
His forehead met the ball.
It instantly changed direction and shot into the net.
Behind him, Van Nistelrooy swung halfway before realizing the ball never arrived.
The Espanyol keeper had been entirely focused on Van Nistelrooy.
"This… GOAL!"
"Another one! Su Hang again! Two goals in just twelve minutes!"
"And with the goal he scored in the 42nd minute of the first half, he completes a hat trick in only twenty-one minutes of actual playing time!"
"This is the power of Real Madrid's captain! This is the dominance of the world's strongest number nine!"
"I have a feeling—the media might have been right all along. Under Zidane's influence, Su Hang's scoring machine may truly evolve into a Star-Destroyer Cannon!"
"He's making the world forget The Phenomenon entirely. The Galácticos has finally acquired its most terrifying weapon!"
On the pitch, every Real Madrid player rushed to Su Hang.
Even on the bench, Emerson and the others couldn't help but applaud warmly.
Too strong.
His finishing ability was simply too strong.
Van Nistelrooy was known as the King of the Six-Yard Box—
one of the world's most clinical finishers.
Yet today, Su Hang seemed even sharper.
Youngsters like Reyes commented,
"Captain Su plays like this for the national team, too. Who knew he'd be just as unstoppable here at the club?"
How could anyone not love a player like this?
The madness continued into the 77th minute.
Zidane played another beautiful switch of play.
Robinho danced past defenders on the right flank with repeated stepovers, cut inside, and used his dribbling talent to perfection.
Thud!
Robinho swept the ball across the face of goal.