The turf of the La Rosaleda Stadium shimmered golden under the afternoon sun, but its beauty could not hide the cruelty that was about to unfold.
As soon as the referee's whistle blew, Málaga displayed an aggressiveness completely different from their previous opponents.
Antonin Cortés stood at the center circle, his gaze complex as he looked towards Rayo Vallecano's half.
This former teammate had now become his most dangerous enemy. He knew Rayo Vallecano's tactics inside out, aware of every weak link.
"Watch Antonin's runs!" Trejo loudly reminded his teammates on the field, but no sooner had he spoken than danger arrived.
Málaga's attack surged like a tide.
Captain Adrián González took the ball in midfield; his passes were precise and incisive, giving Rayo Vallecano no chance to breathe.
Beside him, Albanian international Keidi Bare displayed top-tier midfield control, every pass perfectly weighted.
"Damn it, their midfield press is too strong!" Comesaña panted on the field; Suárez's absence forced him to bear double the defensive pressure.
Though the young José Pozo had good technique, his defensive shortcomings were fully exposed when facing Málaga's relentless midfield onslaught.
Whenever the opponent attacked, he was always a half-step slow, unable to return to his defensive position in time.
Lu Chuan keenly perceived the team's predicament. He began to drop back frequently, trying to help stabilize the midfield.
But doing so greatly reduced the threat upfront. He found himself in a dilemma: drop back to defend, and the attack would lose its sharpness; stay upfront, and the midfield would be completely suppressed by the opponent.
In the 12th minute, disaster finally struck.
Málaga midfielder Juanpi took the ball near the center circle, looked up to assess the situation upfront, and then delivered a precise through ball.
The ball threaded through Rayo Vallecano's loose defense, finding Antonin, who had successfully beaten the offside trap.
"Get back! Hurry and get back!" Catena chased desperately, but Antonin was faster.
Antonin looked at his old teammate rushing towards him, without a hint of hesitation in his eyes.
He didn't choose a powerful shot, but instead used the simplest, most effective method: a push shot that finished the attack.
After scoring, Antonin didn't celebrate. He just silently pointed towards Rayo Vallecano's bench, where his former teammates sat.
This gesture was more stinging than any celebration.
"That kid!" Álvaro García angrily waved his fist, but more than that, it was frustration over his own defensive error.
Paco's face was ashen on the sidelines; he realized the team's problems were more serious than imagined.
Without Suárez as a defensive shield, the midfield had completely lost control.
Lu Chuan took a deep breath and walked to the center circle, preparing to restart the game.
He knew that what the team needed now was not just his goals, but also his organization and link-up play.
After the restart, Lu Chuan began to drop back even deeper to receive the ball.
He used his Full Field Vision skill to try and create opportunities for his teammates.
But Málaga's defense was very targeted; they knew Lu Chuan was Rayo Vallecano's core, so they assigned a dedicated player to mark him closely.
"Their defense is too tight!" Isi Palazón ran desperately on the wing, but couldn't find a suitable passing lane.
The match was incredibly difficult. Málaga, relying on home advantage and thorough preparation, completely controlled the tempo of the game.
Every one of their attacks was threatening, while Rayo Vallecano's counterattacks appeared disorganized.
In the 35th minute, an opportunity finally arose.
Trejo successfully won the ball in midfield and quickly passed it to Lu Chuan, who had dropped back to receive it.
Facing González, who pressed forward, Lu Chuan displayed a masterful "Change of Direction Acceleration" skill, a beautiful Marseille turn shaking off his opponent's entanglement.
Subsequently, Lu Chuan began his solo performance. He successively dribbled past Málaga defenders David Lombán and Juande Rivas, gaining a shooting opportunity at the edge of the box.
"Shoot!" the Rayo Vallecano bench in the stands shouted in unison.
Lu Chuan didn't hesitate. He adjusted his center of gravity and then unleashed a powerful long-range shot.
The ball, with strong spin, flew straight into the top corner of the goal. Málaga goalkeeper Munir Mohamedi made a diving save, but the ball's angle was too tricky; he could only watch it enter the net.
1-1! Lu Chuan equalized with a world-class goal!
"Fourteenth goal! Scored in 14 consecutive League matches!" the commentator excitedly yelled.
Lu Chuan rushed to the corner flag, raising his arms in triumph. This goal not only equalized the score but, more importantly, extended his scoring record.
Even in the team's most difficult moments, his goal-scoring machine was still operating normally.
But this goal did not change the team's overall predicament. Málaga quickly reorganized their attack, and Rayo Vallecano's defense remained shaky.
After the second half began, the situation became even worse.
The humid weather and high-intensity confrontation caused Rayo Vallecano players' stamina to drop sharply.
Their movements became sluggish, and their defensive coordination was greatly compromised.
In the 58th minute, Málaga earned a corner kick.
Juanpi's corner kick was of high quality, accurately finding center-back Juande Rivas in the box. Facing a height disadvantage, Savić simply couldn't stop the opponent's header.
2-1, Málaga took the lead again.
"Defend! Watch the defense!" Paco desperately shouted from the sidelines, but the players' condition could no longer sustain high-intensity defending.
Worse was yet to come.
In the 71st minute, substitute left-back Fran García made a fatal error while dealing with a seemingly simple pass.
His touch was too heavy, allowing Málaga winger Renato Santos to successfully steal the ball.
Santos didn't waste the opportunity; he quickly drove to the byline and crossed.
In the box, Albanian striker Sadiku appeared like a ghost at the far post, easily tapping into an empty net.
3-1! The score difference further widened.
Lu Chuan looked at the scoreboard, then at his staggering teammates on the field, his throat dry.
He wanted to shout something but found himself speechless.
He tried his best to save the team, but football is, after all, a sport of 11 people, and his individual strength alone could not turn the tide.
"We still have time!" Trejo tried to boost morale, but his voice sounded so faint in the noisy stadium.
In the final stages of the match, Lu Chuan almost single-handedly carried the team's entire offensive burden.
He had to drop back to organize, then push forward to shoot, provide assists, and also make individual breakthroughs.
While this all-around performance was admirable, it also exposed the team's over-reliance on him.
In the 85th minute, Lu Chuan earned a free-kick opportunity just outside the box.
This was an excellent chance to pull a goal back, and all eyes were on him.
Lu Chuan took a deep breath, ran up, and struck!
The ball curved beautifully, but Málaga goalkeeper Mohamedi was brilliant this time; he made a flying save, tipping the ball over the crossbar.
"Ah!" The Rayo Vallecano bench let out a sigh.
As the match entered injury time, Rayo Vallecano launched a final desperate counterattack.
But Málaga's defense was very resilient; they held onto their victory with physicality and willpower.
The moment the final whistle blew, Lu Chuan collapsed onto the turf, looking up at the sky of La Rosaleda Stadium.
This was the first time since he came to Spain that he felt so powerless, the first time he understood what it meant to be unable to stand alone.
The camera focused on Lu Chuan, sitting alone near the center circle, surrounded by his exhausted teammates.
The camera lingered on Lu Chuan; he sat there alone, a stark contrast to the celebrating Málaga players around him, sweat dripping down his cheeks onto the turf.
Málaga players celebrated their victory, while Rayo Vallecano players silently walked towards the players' tunnel.
This 1-3 defeat was not just a loss in one match, but a severe test of the team's overall strength.
Paco Jémez stood on the sidelines, his face ashen. He watched the players' dejected backs, his heart a mix of emotions.
As head coach, he had to take responsibility for this defeat.
At the post-match press conference, reporters' questions were exceptionally sharp.
"Mr. Paco, how do you explain the team's poor performance?"
"Where do you think the team's problems lie?"
"There are rumors that the players are unhappy with your tactics; what are your thoughts?"
Facing these aggressive questions, Paco's emotions finally erupted.
"Given this squad, what else do you want me to do?!" He slammed his hand on the table.
"Luna is injured, Suárez is rested; who do we have on our bench? You go ask the club why they don't give me more transfer support!"
These words immediately caused an uproar. A head coach publicly criticizing club management is extremely rare in professional football.
Reporters keenly smelled a story and pressed for more details.
But Paco no longer wanted to answer any questions; he stood up and left the press conference, leaving a group of reporters looking at each other.
Lu Chuan untied his shoelaces, feeling that even the air in the locker room was thick, making his chest heavy.
No one spoke; even their breathing sounded exceptionally heavy. The impact of this defeat went far beyond changes in the League standings; it exposed numerous problems in the team's squad depth, tactical execution, and psychological resilience.
Lu Chuan sat in his spot, replaying every detail of the match in his mind.
He knew he had given his all, but football is just that cruel; individual effort sometimes cannot change the collective fate.
"We still have a chance," Trejo walked over to Lu Chuan, comforting him softly, "The season isn't over yet."
Lu Chuan nodded, but he knew in his heart that if the team couldn't resolve its current problems soon, the dream of promotion might truly be shattered.
This defeat was not just a result but a wake-up call, reminding everyone of the harsh reality and fierce competition.
Night fell, and La Rosaleda Stadium returned to quiet. But for Rayo Vallecano, the real test had only just begun.
They must learn from this defeat, pick themselves up, or a crueler fate awaits them.