Busquets positioned himself beside Metzelder.
For Barcelona's corner kicks, Piqué was usually the primary target.
In terms of height, Busquets and Metzelder were relatively matched.
However, when it came to physical strength, Busquets was no match for Metzelder.
Yet Busquets had his reasons for marking Metzelder.
The referee glanced toward the corner area where Xavi stood, raising his right hand to signal for the kick to be taken quickly.
Just as the referee turned his head away -
Busquets suddenly shoved Metzelder, catching the unprepared defender off balance with a hip check.
At that exact moment, Xavi delivered the corner kick.
The ball flew directly toward Metzelder's defensive zone.
It was too late for Metzelder to recover.
In his panic, he attempted to jump.
But Busquets, positioned in front of him, not only blocked his path but also leaned back slightly - that subtle movement completely disrupted Metzelder's ability to challenge for the ball.
Piqué seized the opportunity and soared upward!
A powerful header sent the ball crashing into Neuer's net!
"GOAL!!!"
"It's in!!!"
"Just five minutes into the second half!"
"Barcelona scores again!"
"Piqué leaps magnificently and heads it past Neuer!"
"3:1!!!"
"Barcelona has one foot in the final!"
"Wait - there's a confrontation in the box!"
"Metzelder and Busquets are clashing!"
"Let's check the replay in slow motion!!!"
"Oh my!"
"Busquets played dirty! He took advantage of the referee looking at Xavi and blatantly shoved Metzelder!"
"This looks like a premeditated tactic!"
"Piqué managed to slip behind H?wedes to get into position!"
"That was a filthy play!"
"Technically, Busquets' action bordered on being a foul - whether to call it or not was questionable!"
"But Piqué, who scored the goal, didn't commit any fouls!"
"Metzelder is furious about Busquets' cheap trick!"
On the pitch, Barcelona had no time to celebrate as the entire team rushed to protect Busquets.
Schalke 04 players immediately swarmed the scene as well!
The referee had just signaled a valid goal when he immediately rushed back to intervene in the growing confrontation.
Metzelder, known for his fiery temper, clashed with Busquets - whose theatrical antics were infamous worldwide. The goal had clearly been stolen through Busquets' underhanded tactics.
Stolen novel; please report.
In a moment of fury, Metzelder shoved Busquets directly while "politely" expressing his feelings through some choice words. This sparked the heated exchange.
Magath, watching from the sidelines with perfect clarity, didn't hesitate. Despite his age, he sprinted to protest with the fourth official. Unfortunately, in this era before VAR technology, the referee's decision stood irrevocable once made.
Raul, seeing tensions escalate, pushed through the crowd to pull Metzelder away. "There's still time!" he shouted, trying to calm his teammates. "Take it easy!"
Yet Metzelder, as the instigator of the push, received a yellow card from the referee.
"Hey! That was impulsive!" the commentators noted. "Metzelder's a veteran - he wouldn't have lost his cool like this unless provoked beyond limits!"
"Down by two goals now, Schalke 04 are in serious trouble!"
"Su's still being tightly marked by Bar?a's defense."
"Magath needs to make adjustments quickly to stabilize the midfield!"
As play resumed, Raul passed back to Hao. Hao initially looked to Su but noticed Villa - who hadn't pressured him - was instead shadowing Su closely.
What's this? The big guy looking down on me? Hao thought irritably.
Despite his frustration, Hao quickly pivoted and passed left to Klaas-Jan Huntelaar as Xavi closed in.
Huntelaar received the ball and accelerated forward, only to find Alves immediately glued to his side - the same persistent defender who'd troubled him all first half.
After a few strides, Huntelaar spotted Su making a blistering run through the center. Without hesitation, he slotted the ball across to Su.
Meanwhile, Xavi and Iniesta were still chasing desperately from behind.
Ever resourceful, Su had begun his move right after Hao's pass - first feinting right before making his central dash.
That casual walk had made Iniesta and Villa lower their guard against him.
Unexpectedly, the moment after Hao passed to Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Su suddenly exploded into action - charging forward violently like a basketball player executing a sharp reverse pivot!
That was his 98-rated speed at work!
Iniesta and Villa stood no chance of keeping up.
Upon receiving the ball, Su - who initially considered dribbling - suddenly spotted a 99% bright red passing lane appear!
99%?
Such a high-percentage intelligent passing route was something Su had never seen before!
Without hesitation, Su abandoned his dribbling plan and immediately slotted the ball to Raul, who had dropped back to receive it!
"Su gets the ball!"
"No hesitation at all!"
"Su makes one touch before delivering a cross-field pass right to the feet of the retreating Raul!"
Busquets, who had been charging at Su, quickly pivoted to close down Raul upon seeing the rapid pass.
On the pitch, Raul received the ball back-to-goal. Using the inside of his right foot, he hooked the ball and spun in place. His right foot then swept around himself like a compass, pulling the ball cleanly away!
The elegant move completely wrong-footed Busquets, who had been leaning in ready to tackle!
What now?
Without thinking, Busquets immediately lunged toward Raul again!
But then came a sight that left him stunned!
Raul, having pulled the ball in front of himself, took a small touch forward before rearing back his right leg and unleashing a thunderous strike!
A long shot?
From thirty-eight meters out?
Is this guy insane?
Doesn't he know he's thirty-three?
Coming off a leg injury no less?
Just whipping it like that?
Does he think he's Cristiano Ronaldo?
"BANG!!!"
An explosive sound!
With Busquets gaping in disbelief, Raul's shot streaked toward Bar?a's goal like lightning!
"RAUL!!!"
"He winds up and fires from over thirty meters out!"
"That was an absolutely world-class strike!!!"
"GOAL!!!"
"Valdés was caught slightly off his line!!!"
"The dip on that shot was incredible!!!"
"OH MY!!!"
"Magnificent!!!"
"IT'S IN!!!"
"IT'S IN!!!"
"2:3!!!"
"RAUL!!!"
"Raul, the Lord of the Rings, delivers his Return of the King moment at Veltins-Arena!!!!!!!!"
"The Prince of Madrid saves Schalke 04!!!"
"From retirement rumors to heroic comeback!"
"Through all the doubts and criticism!"
"Raul has returned!!!"
"He's pulled one back for Schalke 04 with his trademark long-range blast!!!"
"Unbelievable!!!"
"Raul González!!!"
"The 33-year-old legend scores with his first touch since returning - against Bar?a no less!"
"During his 16-year Real Madrid career, Raul netted 323 goals for Los Blancos!"
"And 15 of those came against Barcelona!"
"Today!"
"He's done it for the 16th time against Bar?a!"
"Can you believe it? This veteran, written off after a career-threatening injury!"
Veltins-Arena erupted!
The moment Raul scored, the stadium DJ screamed his name hysterically as all Schalke 04 fans went berserk.
On the pitch, even Raul himself looked slightly dazed as he glanced at his right leg. Since kickoff, he'd felt unusually sharp - like he'd turned back the clock.
Perhaps God favors this old warrior after all!
Without further thought, Raul gracefully raised his right hand to kiss his wedding ring - that iconic celebration! The Lord of the Rings had truly returned!
On the touchline, Guardiola - who'd battled against this legend during his playing days - stood applauding respectfully. At 33, post-injury, to still possess such explosive power... remarkable.
Meanwhile, Magath - previously fuming at the referee - sprinted from the bench, fists pumping wildly in celebration.
After nearly fifty muted minutes, Veltins-Arena finally exploded.
"2:3!!!"
"Schalke 04 claw one back!"
"They still need two more to avoid elimination!"
"But even in defeat, these Schalke players have earned respect!"
"Their relentless fighting spirit has won over everyone!"
