The All-Around Center Forward

"Hey! Guys! There's nothing to be afraid of. Real Madrid has a glorious Champions League history, but it's all in the past. Right now, they're not in good shape. We have a chance to beat them!"

Zurich's captain, Philipp Koch, shouted to boost morale.

He was downplaying Real Madrid's strength to stir up the fighting spirit among his teammates.

"Stähli, don't forget, Suker even commented on you."

Philipp Koch continued loudly, "We're about to face a team with great past achievements, but we're going to show them who they're really playing against!"

"Let's go, guys!"

Soon after, players from both sides gathered in the tunnel.

Looking at Real Madrid's star-studded lineup, Philipp Koch couldn't help but swallow hard.

Despite trying to psych himself up and brainwash his nerves over and over, when he saw names like Suker, Raúl, and Guti, he was still extremely nervous.

He understood very well that, in terms of squad depth and player quality alone, Zurich was no match for Real Madrid.

That's why they had to rely more on teamwork to defeat their opponent.

In Zurich's lineup, Florian Stähli kept sneaking glances at Suker.

Suker had mentioned him in pre-match comments. As one of the world's most talked-about footballers, it thrilled Stähli to know someone of that caliber even knew his name.

Stähli's eyes burned with determination.

He was going to give it everything he had in this match to live up to Suker's words.

Many Zurich players shared this feeling.

After all, they had fought hard to reach the Champions League group stage—and now they were about to face a giant like Real Madrid. This was a rare opportunity.

For players like them, it wasn't just about performance—they needed a stage to showcase their skills.

And this match was exactly that.

If they could perform well, their dreams might just become reality.

With this in mind, many of Zurich's players became visibly energized.

Suker noticed this transformation.

He had seen many similar teams during his time with AC Milan.

But most of them ended up with painful results.

Suker respected their dreams, but when reality hit and they saw how big the gap was between them and the elite, that disillusionment could crush a player.

"Get ready to take the field!"

The referee shouted from the front.

Both teams quickly lined up and got ready.

Starting Lineups:

Zurich (4-4-2):GK: LeoniDefenders: Florian Stähli, Philipp Koch, Tihinen, RojasMidfielders: Johann Vonlanthen, Okoko, Eggert, SorgicForwards: Alphonse, Hassli

Real Madrid (4-3-3):GK: CasillasDefenders: Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, AlbiolMidfielders: Gago, Diarra, GutiForwards: Higuaín, Raúl, Suker

In this match, Suker returned to the left wing.

It was mainly for tactical reasons.

With Xabi Alonso absent, Suker had to take on more responsibility in organizing the attack from the front.

Because of that, he would drift centrally during the match.

Rather than a traditional striker, Suker was the playmaker and attacking engine up front.

Of course, if needed, he could also switch to solo-mode and take the game over.

Pellegrini gave Suker plenty of tactical freedom—a kind of compensation for shifting his position in three consecutive matches.

Letzigrund Stadium, also known as the "Magic Track Stadium," was the largest stadium in Zurich. Still, with only 30,000 seats, it was small compared to the 80,000 to 100,000-seat behemoths of Europe's top clubs.

Sure, it was big for Switzerland and Zurich, but on the European stage, it didn't make the rankings.

That said, it was designed with Switzerland's population and sports culture in mind—so it wasn't really about catering to fans' viewing habits.

After all, football in Zurich wasn't exactly booming.

During domestic league matches, Zurich's average attendance was only 70%.

But tonight, the stadium was absolutely packed.

The reason was obvious:

The Champions League. Real Madrid. And Suker.

Although many local fans had come to see Suker, they didn't cheer for him openly.

Even if they rooted for him in their hearts, they didn't show it outwardly.

Players entered the pitch.

As Suker warmed up with his signature high-leg stretch, the traveling Real Madrid fans erupted in cheers.

There were 10,000 traveling fans in the stands.

They had come because they were excited by Suker and didn't want to miss a single game he played for Real Madrid.

"Let's go, Suker!"

"Charge, Suker!"

"We're counting on you!"

"Crush them!"

"Suker! Suker!"

Even though he had only played two league matches, Suker had already won over a large number of Real Madrid fans.

They loved his explosive speed.They loved his decisive finishing.They loved his magical dribbling.

Everything about Suker seemed enchanted.

He smiled and waved to the away fans.

Then turned to look back.

Ramos + Pepe—the central defense duo.

Still raw, but full of potential.

Together, they made up the "brute and dirty" combo.

Any attacker facing them would feel uneasy. No one knew what kind of wild move they might pull—especially Pepe, who was a true double-edged sword.

Pepe stood with his head tilted back, arms on his hips, his bald head gleaming, fierce expression and muscular build—he looked like a warrior monk.

Ramos had just switched to center-back and was still adapting.

The pairing had huge potential but wasn't yet fully reliable.

In midfield: Gago, Diarra, and Guti.

Not a flashy trio.

They weren't weak per se, but they could no longer produce the dominant form of their primes.

They had experience—but that was about it.

Had Xabi Alonso been available, the passing would've improved dramatically, freeing Suker to focus on attacking.

But Xabi Alonso was injured in European qualifiers and would be out for a few weeks.

Up front: Higuaín, Raúl, and Suker.

Overall, the lineup still felt underwhelming.

The defense needed polish.

Midfield needed reinforcements.

The attack needed youth.

Tactically, Real Madrid played the typical 4-3-3.

Though far from perfect, this was good enough for opponents not named Champions League contenders.

Zurich clearly wasn't one.

"The match is about to begin. Zurich is facing a mighty Real Madrid—can they put up a strong performance?"

"The star Suker mentioned several Zurich defenders before the game and gave them high praise. Will they live up to that?""And Zurich's key striker Alphonse—his performance will be critical in deciding the outcome.""Of course, our defenders will also face an enormous challenge!""They're about to go up against a front line of Higuaín, Raúl, and Suker. For the right-back Stähli in particular, can he hold off Suker's attacking pressure?"

The Zurich commentator threw out a series of questions.

Soon, his voice rose in pitch:

"Here we go—the match is starting! The referee exits the center circle, the whistle blows—the 2009/2010 Champions League Group Stage, Round One: Zurich vs Real Madrid has officially kicked off!"

BEEP!The whistle sounded.

Real Madrid players immediately pressed forward to disrupt Zurich's formation.

Suker, as he tucked in from the left wing, deliberately stayed a step behind Raúl.

Raúl would make the first pressing move, while Suker provided secondary pressure and disrupted passing lanes.

However, Raúl's pressing wasn't particularly aggressive or sharp, so Zurich was able to play the ball out from the back using a center-back–full-back–defensive-midfield triangle.

Seeing that the high press wasn't working, Suker immediately dropped back.

Zurich played cautiously.

They didn't dare push the ball forward quickly. Instead, they tried to draw more Madrid players out of position.

But Madrid remained calm and compact.

Maybe it was due to the importance they placed on the Champions League—or the repeated early exits at the Round of 16—but they couldn't fully let go even against Zurich.

After a few probing attacks, Zurich finally launched an attack from the left flank.

Suker floated back to midfield. Watching the Zurich players' movement, he quickly tracked Eggert, Zurich's playmaker.

Eggert was the central point of their attack—80% of their dangerous moves came through him.

So Suker stuck with him tightly.

If they could shut him down, Zurich's attack would stall.

Suker was full of energy, tracking all the way back to the defensive third to mark Eggert.

Many world-class players shy away from defending.

But Suker was different—he had no ego about defending. When it was time to track back, he did it.

"So annoying!"Eggert complained. He kept trying to slip into space, but couldn't get the ball.

Why? Because Suker was constantly at his side, and the passing lanes were cut off.

His teammates didn't dare make risky passes either—one interception by Suker and Real Madrid could immediately launch a deadly counterattack.

Soon, Madrid upped their defensive pressure.

There was no way they'd let Zurich control the game in their half.

Once Madrid pressed, Zurich's passing rhythm broke down.

Then Suker noticed Eggert moving into space for a pass—and instantly closed him down.

Alphonse, trying to cut in from the wing, was squeezed by Pepe and Gago, forcing him to stumble and pass weakly.

Eggert sprinted toward the ball—

But Suker got there first and shoulder-checked Eggert, destabilizing him and taking control of the ball.

"Suker! Wins the ball! Such active pressing!"

Spanish commentator Gonzalez exclaimed in admiration.

Suker wasn't just a superstar—he was a hard-working superstar, and that made fans love him even more.

The Madrid fans in the stands applauded.

But the real show was just beginning.

With the ball at his feet, Suker spun away from Eggert with a Marseille turn, dribbling toward the sideline.

Zurich's defensive structure reacted quickly, swarming to form a triangle around him.

First came Alphonse, rushing back to steal the ball.

Suker pulled the ball back with his foot and dodged Alphonse.

Then Vonlanthen charged in—Suker used his shoulder to shield the ball from the body check.

As Eggert approached from the front, Suker did a pull-back and flick combo, then headed the ball forward, before bursting through the gap with explosive acceleration—escaping a 3-man trap.

"Ohhhhh~~~ Suker!!!"

Gonzalez rolled his R's in classic Spanish style.

Throwing his hands up, he shouted:"That escape was brilliant—pure skill and confidence! Suker was trapped on the touchline, but danced out of a triple-team with perfect touches, then lobbed the ball over the top and sprinted through!"

After breaking free, Suker passed to Guti, who quickly pushed the ball forward.

Real Madrid's counterattack was underway.

Suker also sprinted forward at full speed.

He reached the edge of Zurich's penalty area—but Zurich's players had sprinted back in time, forming a solid defensive line.

The counter chance was gone.

But Madrid had secured possession.

"Reset!" Suker shouted.

Seeing the dense wall of defenders in front of him, Guti calmly passed the ball back to reorganize the attack.

"So composed! That's the way—no need to rush. If there's a chance, strike. If not, reset and build again."

Gonzalez again praised Madrid's calm rhythm.

The whole team looked very composed and effective.

Suker shifted to the left wing, where Stähli marked him tightly.

He dropped deep—almost to the halfway line.

Stähli finally gave up the chase, and Zurich's DM Okoko hadn't caught up yet, leaving Suker unmarked in space.

Guti saw him and shouted:"Pass it over! Pass it—ahhh! Too late!"

He pounded his thigh in frustration as Okoko closed in on Suker.

Suker smiled at Guti's urgency—this guy seemed more anxious than he was.

"Easy—patience," Suker said with a grin, though internally, he had made an important observation.

Zurich's defensive transitions were sluggish.

When one player left, the next couldn't cover in time.

That was something Suker could exploit.

"Watch my position!" he shouted to his midfielders.

Sometimes he couldn't receive direct passes, but diagonal passing triangles could work.

Just like earlier—he couldn't connect directly with Diarra due to Eggert, but Diarra → Guti → Suker could form an angle.

These veterans quickly picked up what Suker meant.

Suker also began running laterally across midfield, looking for space.

13th minute: Suker popped up again on the left side—this time, no defenders around.

Diarra → Guti → through ball!

Suker received it just before Okoko could close him down.

He turned along the sideline and accelerated explosively.

"Suker's taking off!"

Gonzalez screamed.

The Madrid fans roared.

Zurich fans looked on nervously.

Suker blazed down the sideline.

Okoko chased two steps behind.

"Stähli! Slow him down!" Okoko shouted.

Right-back Stähli charged forward, but too quickly.

Suker subtly shifted, nudged the ball diagonally, and overtook Stähli from the outside, cutting in behind him.

"Ohhh~~~ Ball-and-body split! Suker's into the box!"

Inside the penalty area, Suker looked up—no angle for a shot.

So he swung his right foot and curled a cross to the far post.

The ball flew with speed and spin, dropping fast.

And there was Raúl, charging in!

Header—GOAL!!!

Whoosh!

Ball in net.

14th minute, Real Madrid scored.

Suker assisted Raúl for the opener.

"Goooooooooooooooooal!!!""Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal!"

"The legendary Raúl with a superb header! Right place, right time!""Real Madrid leads Zurich 1-0!"

"And we must not overlook Suker's brilliance—what a run, what a cross!"

"People often talk about Suker's finishing—his power, his instincts."

"But they forget—he started his career as a blistering left winger—a Croatian speedster with both pace and skill."

"This goal is proof."

"For too long, we've focused only on his scoring numbers—and forgot his dribbling and vision."

"This is the true attacking force from Real Madrid's left wing!"

"Suker is the sharpest spear in Real's arsenal—and he'll keep piercing through opponents' weak spots until they collapse!"