Matchday atmosphere at Miraflores had become dangerous.
Not hostile anymore.
Emotional.
The kind of atmosphere struggling clubs created when hope returned after years of suffering.
Scarves everywhere. Flares outside the stadium. Fans singing nearly an hour before kickoff.
And standing near the tunnel before the match…
Malik finally understood something.
The city believed now.
That was terrifying.
Because belief created expectations.
And expectations destroyed football people every season.
Miraflores faced a direct relegation rival that night.
CD Ebro.
Win… and they escaped the bottom three for the first time all season.
Lose… and pressure returned immediately.
The stadium tension felt unbearable.
Players could feel it too.
Adrian paced constantly before kickoff. Raúl looked unusually quiet. Even the staff spoke less.
Malik gathered the team moments before they walked out.
No tactical lecture this time.
No detailed instructions.
Just one sentence.
"Make them feel your intensity first."
The players nodded immediately.
Because they understood now.
Intensity was Miraflores' identity.
The match became war instantly.
Hard tackles. Fast transitions. Crowd screaming after every duel.
And Malik lived every second of it near the touchline.
Shouting instructions. Adjusting shape. Demanding recovery runs.
By the second half, the entire stadium moved with the team emotionally.
Every press triggered noise. Every tackle triggered roars.
Minute 78.
Adrian Vega received the ball wide left.
One defender beaten.
Then another.
Cut inside.
Shot.
GOAL.
Absolute chaos.
The stadium exploded so loudly that substitutes sprinted onto the pitch before staff dragged them back.
Fans screamed like people possessed.
Players piled onto Adrian near the corner flag while Malik simply stood near the touchline breathing heavily.
Not celebrating wildly.
Just watching.
Watching what belief looked like.
Final whistle.
Miraflores 1 : 0 CD Ebro.
Out of the relegation zone.
Barely.
But out.
The stadium sang long after the match ended.
Players hugged each other emotionally. Fans applauded endlessly.
And somewhere high above the stadium, cameras focused tightly on Malik again.
The young manager standing motionless beneath roaring lights while football consumed the city around him.
Meanwhile…
Deep inside the directors' box…
Sergio Molina stared at the celebrations below with folded arms and a troubled expression.
Because survival now meant something dangerous.
Expectations.
And expectations cost money.