Soccer stars thrill fans as Real Madrid win 4-2

After all the doubts, it proved a great exhibition of the beautiful game. Hong Kong Stadium erupted in a joyous display of soccer as Real Madrid's superstars turned on their most glittering skills to defeat a plucky Hong Kong Select side 4-2.

Far from the usual sluggish exhibition affair, Ronaldo, David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane and Roberto Carlos all showed touches of greatness before a packed crowd of 40,000, some of whom had queued for days to get tickets.

The Hong Kong side rose to the occasion, too, with first-half goals by mainland star Li Yao and Chinese international Wang Peng. Happy Valley goalkeeper Fan Chun-yip had the crowd on its feet as he repeatedly denied Real's strikers with dramatic saves.

Hong Kong came to a standstill as fans packed bars and clubs across the city, with about 1,700 also braving the steamy conditions to watch a big screen simulcast at Mongkok Stadium.

Home Affairs Secretary Patrick Ho Chi-ping was among the happy supporters. 'It has been worth every cent,' he said, his comments following mounting criticism over the $36 million price tag and concerns over the ticket allocation that saw just 16,000 seats sold publicly.

Mr Ho said the government had demanded an audited expenditure report from the Hong Kong Football Association within one month.