The fifteen-minute halftime break passed in a flash. In the locker room, Paco Jémez's voice echoed with passion and unwillingness.
"In the second half, we're going to attack like crazy!" He forcefully drew arrows on the tactics board, "Forget defense, press forward with all our might! No matter how strong Shinji Kagawa is, he's only one man!"
The players' eyes burned with the fire of battle. The shame of being behind made the blood of unwillingness flow through everyone's veins.
Lu Chuan silently clenched his fists. The pressure of the system mission intertwined with the team's predicament, making him feel an unprecedented burden.
The whistle blew again, and the second half began.
Rayo Vallecano immediately showed a completely different demeanor. Paco pushed the formation entirely forward, almost a desperate, crazy gamble.
Trejo, Comesaña, and even the defender Advíncula frequently participated in the front-line attack. The entire team was like a fully operating attacking machine.
Zaragoza also did not choose to play conservatively. Víctor Fernández waved his arms on the sidelines, signaling the team to continue maintaining high-pressure pressing.
The match instantly became white-hot.
In the 48th minute, Lu Chuan received the ball in the front field, facing a double-team from two defenders. He used the physical advantage of Iron Body to withstand the opponent's collision head-on.
Then, a sudden stop and change of direction allowed him to shake off Hávard Elyounoussi. But the shooting angle was too narrow, and the ball was collected by goalkeeper Álvarez.
"Damn it!" Lu Chuan slapped his thigh in frustration.
Shinji Kagawa controlled the tempo in the midfield unhurriedly. Whenever Rayo Vallecano launched a fierce attack, he could always defuse the danger with a precise pass.
In the 52nd minute, Zaragoza got a counter-attack opportunity. Shinji Kagawa received the ball near the center circle, facing Comesaña who was pressing forward.
He casually flicked the ball with the outside of his foot, and the ball flew over the opponent's head. He then quickly accelerated, caught up with the ball, and continued to advance.
At this moment, Lu Chuan deeply felt what it meant to be a master-level technician. Every movement was just right, without the slightest excess.
But Rayo Vallecano's crazy attack finally paid off.
In the 55th minute, Trejo made a crucial tackle in midfield. Without hesitation, he immediately passed the ball to Álvaro García on the right wing.
García received the ball and rapidly advanced along the sideline. Zaragoza's left-back Carlos Nieto was unable to catch up and was completely left behind.
At the edge of the penalty area, García chose to cross. The ball drew a beautiful arc in the air, flying precisely into the penalty area.
Lu Chuan had already anticipated the landing spot of the ball. He used the stamina advantage of Perpetual Motion to sprint into the penalty area from the far post.
Center-back Simeone Grippo was also contesting this spot. Both jumped almost simultaneously, engaging in a fierce physical confrontation in the air.
The effect of Iron Body was fully displayed at this moment. Lu Chuan's core strength was clearly stronger, and he maintained better balance in the air.
Header!
Lu Chuan used all his strength to powerfully head the ball. The ball changed direction, flying with a strong dip towards the bottom left corner of the goal.
Goalkeeper Álvarez made a diving save, but the angle was too tricky, and his fingertips could only watch helplessly as the ball entered the net.
1-1!
Rayo Vallecano equalized!
Lu Chuan immediately rushed to the sideline after landing, taking off his jersey and raising it high, roaring at the empty stands.
"Fifteenth goal! Fifteen consecutive games with a goal!"
His teammates rushed over frantically, surrounding him. This goal not only equalized the score but also served as a strong response to Shinji Kagawa's assist in the first half.
The tension of the Asian Derby instantly reached its peak.
Shinji Kagawa stood near the center circle, calmly watching the Rayo Vallecano players celebrate. There was no change in his expression, but a hint of recognition flashed in his eyes.
This is the charm of football; a comeback can happen at any time.
After the match restarted, the pace of attack and defense on both sides became even more frantic. Rayo Vallecano had tasted success and continued to maintain high-intensity attacking pressure.
But the cost of this playing style quickly became apparent.
In the 58th minute, Zaragoza got a throw-in opportunity. Raúl Guti threw the ball into play, and it was headed clear by a Rayo Vallecano defender.
But the ball landed right at Shinji Kagawa's feet. He didn't rush to deal with it but first shielded the ball with his body, observing the situation on the field.
Lu Chuan immediately pressed forward, trying to disrupt Shinji Kagawa's pass. But the Japanese master was already prepared.
He first made a feint to turn left, tricking Lu Chuan into shifting his center of gravity. Then, with a nimble flick of his foot, the ball passed between Lu Chuan's legs.
Nutmeg!
The live cameras captured this brilliant moment. Shinji Kagawa used the simplest movement to complete the most humiliating dribble.
Lu Chuan turned to chase, but Shinji Kagawa had already passed the ball to a teammate.
In the 62nd minute, Rayo Vallecano's frantic attack finally revealed a fatal flaw.
Advíncula and Fran García, both full-backs, had pushed past the halfway line, participating in the front-line attack. The defensive line was left with only two center-backs struggling to hold on.
Zaragoza immediately seized this opportunity.
Javi Puado received the ball on the left wing, facing an open flank. Advíncula was still in the front field and had no time to recover defensively.
Puado rapidly advanced along the sideline, and Rayo Vallecano's defense instantly fell into danger.
Catena had no choice but to cover, but this created an even larger gap in the penalty area.
In the 68th minute, Shinji Kagawa once again demonstrated his master class.
He received a back pass in midfield, with Trejo pressing forward in front of him. The captain's defense was fierce, but Shinji Kagawa was prepared.
He gently flicked the ball with the outside of his foot, and the ball rolled past Trejo. He then quickly accelerated, bypassing the opponent's body.
After shaking off the defense, Shinji Kagawa looked up to observe the front field.
He saw Javi Puado's rapid advance on the left wing and Luis Suárez's run in the penalty area.
Without hesitation, Shinji Kagawa sent a precise long pass with the inside of his foot. The ball flew over the midfield, accurately finding Puado on the wing.
Puado received the ball and continued to cut inside, with Catena stepping forward to block.
But the Spanish winger's speed was faster, and he used a simple change of direction to shake off the center-back's defense.
Then, Puado crossed from the edge of the penalty area.
The ball once again drew an arc in the air, flying into the penalty area. Savić and Luis Suárez both jumped to contest this spot.
But the Colombian striker's positional judgment was more accurate. He got to the ball before Savić, gently flicking it with the tip of his foot.
The ball changed direction, nestling into the near post. Dimitrievski couldn't save it and could only watch helplessly as the ball entered the net.
2-1!
Zaragoza took the lead again! Luis Suárez scored a brace!
After scoring, Suárez excitedly rushed to the corner flag to celebrate.
Shinji Kagawa still maintained his calm expression, simply walking back to the center circle.
Rayo Vallecano's players all hung their heads. Their frantic attack had indeed created opportunities, but it also left more space for the opponent.
Lu Chuan stood near the center circle, his eyes filled with unwillingness. He knew the team's current situation was very dangerous.
There were still over 20 minutes left, but Zaragoza had completely controlled the rhythm of the game.
Even worse, Rayo Vallecano's stamina began to show problems.
The continuous high-intensity attack made the players' legs feel heavy.
In the 72nd minute, Lu Chuan tried to organize an attack in the front field.
But Zaragoza's defense was very layered; whenever he got the ball, two or three players immediately came to double-team him.
Under such high-intensity defense, Lu Chuan seemed to be fighting alone. He tried his best to create opportunities for the team, but individual strength was ultimately limited.
The pressure of the system mission made him even more anxious. If they lost this match, even with good individual statistics, the "King of Asia" mission would likely fail.
In the 78th minute, Paco made his final adjustment. He replaced defensive midfielder Óscar Valentín with target man Ullóa.
This was an all-or-nothing substitution. The team's formation became more aggressive but also more unstable.
Ullóa's entry indeed created more chaos in the front field. His height advantage put pressure on Zaragoza's defenders.
But Rayo Vallecano's midfield defense was also completely exposed. Shinji Kagawa gained more space to operate, and his distribution in midfield became effortless.
In the 82nd minute, Zaragoza got a corner kick opportunity. The ball was headed clear by a Rayo Vallecano defender, but it didn't go far.
Shinji Kagawa received the ball outside the penalty area. He didn't rush to shoot but chose to pass the ball horizontally to a better-positioned teammate.
This pass once again demonstrated his vision. Although he had a shooting opportunity himself, his teammate's position was clearly better.
Alberto Soro shot directly after receiving the ball, and the ball flew towards the top left corner of the goal. Dimitrievski made a desperate save, tipping the ball over the crossbar.
So close!
As the match entered the final stage, Rayo Vallecano had no retreat. They had to equalize in the remaining time, otherwise, it would be a complete defeat.
In the 85th minute, Zaragoza once again got a counter-attack opportunity. Rayo Vallecano's attack was intercepted, and Shinji Kagawa received the ball in midfield.
Ahead was an open field, with only two Rayo Vallecano players tracking back. A golden opportunity for a 3-on-2!
Shinji Kagawa dribbled the ball forward quickly; although his speed wasn't very fast, his control of the tempo was excellent.
Lu Chuan desperately chased back, trying to disrupt this counter-attack. But the distance was too great, and he couldn't catch up.
Shinji Kagawa advanced to the edge of the penalty area, with two passing options in front of him.
To his right was Luis Suárez, who had already scored twice and was rapidly surging into the box.
To his left was Javi Puado, whose position was relatively better, with no defender marking him closely.
At this moment, time seemed to stand still.
Shinji Kagawa's eyes quickly scanned between his two teammates, and his brain made a judgment in an instant.
Rayo Vallecano's fate rested on this one pass.