Barcelona's footwork was sharp, their possession solid.
But whenever Real Madrid pressed, Barcelona were forced to give up the ball, clearing long to avoid another "Motta incident."
As a result, both sides created more attacking chances.
A goal could come at any moment.
87th minute.
Ronaldinho brought down a long ball deep in his own half. Surrounded by Ramos and Baptista, he slipped a brilliant through pass.
Eto'o latched onto it and fired, but Helguera blocked.
Ramos recovered the rebound and immediately launched it forward.
Su Hang, Ronaldo, Raúl, and others fought for the ball.
Su Hang flicked it on, and Ronaldo took possession.
But the next second, Motta slid in hard, sending Ronaldo crashing down.
The referee waved play on—Motta had touched the ball first.
Motta quickly got up and chased the loose ball.
Su Hang, just landing from an aerial challenge, followed but trailed behind.
Motta reached the ball first, facing his own goal. A simple back pass was the safe option.
But he didn't.
He wanted to take a couple of touches, assess, then decide:
If pressed, pass back to Valdés.
If not, turn and distribute to keep possession.
After all, a goalkeeper's clearance usually handed the ball back to Real Madrid.
Holding it at the back was Rijkaard's way of running down the clock.
Then it happened.
The moment Motta touched the ball with his left foot, he let out a scream and collapsed.
The ball rolled several meters forward into the box, still well away from Valdés.
It looked like he was cursed—like black magic was at play.
And the one "casting the spell" was...
Su Hang!
The instant Motta went down, Su Hang sprinted for the ball.
Valdés reacted too, charging out.
Both had a chance.
But Su Hang's acceleration was unreal—he shifted into top gear in an instant.
Valdés, by comparison, looked painfully slow.
In truth, Valdés wasn't slow.
It was just that Su Hang was blisteringly fast.
He was running at the speed of a sprinter.
Realizing he wouldn't reach it first, Valdés spread himself wide and dived low, trying to close down nearly every angle.
Unless Su Hang...
Bang!
Su Hang chipped it!
The ball arced over Valdés' head like a rainbow.
It was his trademark finish—the same wonder strike that had made him famous in the Copa del Rey final.
The ball dropped into the net. Puyol and Márquez, racing back, couldn't even attempt a desperate clearance.
"GOAL!"
"Su Hang again!"
"Su Hang is unstoppable!"
"It's level! Su Hang with a brace ties it 3-3!"
"An incredible equalizer—out of absolutely nothing!"
"What's happening with Motta? He's only been on ten minutes and already made two huge mistakes, gifting two goals!"
"Is this Barcelona heir caught up in betting?"
"Is he throwing the game?"
"Wait... looks like Motta's injured?"
The reason for his blunder soon became clear.
When he slid into Ronaldo, his left foot smashed against Ronaldo's.
Ronaldo stood firm, so it was a hard impact.
But the force struck directly on Motta's left big toe.
His toe was fractured.
At first, the shock masked the pain.
He got up, ran a few steps, and instinctively flicked the ball with that same toe.
Then the agony hit.
His stride faltered, he stumbled to the ground, and couldn't get up again.
That's how this disaster unfolded.
Camp Nou fell silent.
Motta had already been injured once this season—he'd just returned, only to fracture again...
How can a 6'2" giant be more fragile than little powerhouses like Xavi, Messi, and Iniesta?
Even last season, he'd missed multiple games with injuries.
His path to becoming "the next Rijkaard" was slipping further away.
"What a pity! Barcelona started strong but couldn't hold their lead."
"From 3-1 up to a 3-3 draw, Barcelona drop points at home."
"They remain top, but Real Madrid are only three points behind."
"And if Villarreal win this round, they'll leapfrog Barça into first place!"
Boos rang out at Camp Nou. The fans were furious.
With Motta injured, Barcelona were forced into their final substitution.
Van Bommel came on.
The Dutch midfielder had joined under fellow countryman Rijkaard but hadn't been given the starting role he was promised.
So far, he'd only been a substitute, with limited minutes.
He wasn't happy.
Reports suggested his agent was already seeking a move, and Bayern Munich, looking to reinforce their midfield, seemed a likely destination.
90th minute.
Barcelona kept attacking, desperate not to let the three points slip away.
Otherwise, they couldn't face their fans.
Ronaldinho, hounded by Sergio Ramos, went down while sending in a cross.
He had toyed with the young center back most of the match, but Ramos's relentless fight unsettled him at the decisive moment.
The pass was poor.
Iniesta had to adjust before shooting.
Helguera blocked the attempt.
The ball went out for a corner.
Camp Nou roared.
Fans lifted their anthem.
A corner was the perfect chance.
Deco swung it in.
Su Hang, tracking back to defend, rose above everyone and cleared it.
Barcelona won another corner.
This time, more Barça players packed the Madrid box.
The cheers grew louder. The anthem thundered.
Deco delivered again.
But Su Hang, tightly marked by two men in the six-yard box, soared above them and headed it clear once more.