Barcelona's players were overflowing with talent, but Real Madrid's players were no slouches either.
When Hazard faced Alves one-on-one, David Silva had not participated in the passing combination at all, but suddenly sprinted at high speed into the penalty area behind Alves, looking as if he intended to rush in and attack the near post.
The Spanish midfielder's sudden forward run immediately disrupted the Barcelona defenders' judgment.
Busquets had to keep an eye on Modrić outside the penalty area, while David Silva's forward run naturally forced Pique to pay attention to him as well. No one knew what Hazard would do or where he would pass. What if he was looking to combine with David Silva?
Mathieu likewise needed to provide cover for Pique, so his attention naturally shifted to the rapidly changing battle before him.
After Hazard forced his way past Alves, he sent in a cross with his left foot, driving the ball straight into the penalty area. The Barcelona defenders panicked slightly because the ball was clearly not aimed at the near post, but rather at the center.
Pique and Mathieu were both standing just outside the six-yard box on the left, while goalkeeper Valdes was also positioned to the left. Yet Hazard sent the ball through the gap between the two center-backs and the goalkeeper. It was a difficult waist-high cross to deal with, and neither the defenders nor the goalkeeper could handle it in time. They could only fight for position.
When Pique and Mathieu saw the ball fly past them, their first reaction was that something was wrong. Then, almost simultaneously, a terrifying thought suddenly flashed through both their minds.
Where did Yang Yang go?
Damn it! Where did Yang Yang go?
Pique and Mathieu turned around in shock at the same time, only