Football changes fast.
Too fast.
Three months earlier, fans wanted Miraflores relegated just to end the suffering.
Now?
People arrived at the stadium two hours before kickoff.
Scarves waved through the streets. Local bars overflowed with supporters arguing about pressing structures. Children copied Adrian Vega dribbles on concrete roads outside apartment blocks.
The city had become addicted to hope.
And hope was dangerous.
League Table : February
Position Club Points
16th Miraflores 31
17th CD Ebro 30
18th Zamora 28
Still fragile.
Still close to disaster.
But alive.
Very alive.
And that made the next match terrifying.
Because Miraflores were about to face league leaders:
Racing Gijón B.
Best attack in the division. Highest pressing intensity. Most possession won in final third.
The media immediately framed it as:
"The Genius Test."
Training intensity exploded that week.
Malik barely slept anymore.
Tactical clips covered every screen inside the analyst room:
pressing triggers,
buildup traps,
defensive rotations,
transition weaknesses.
Coffee cups piled everywhere.
Even Elena started looking concerned now.
"You've been here since yesterday."
Malik barely looked away from the footage.
"Hm."
"That isn't healthy."
Silence.
Then:
"Football isn't healthy."
That answer bothered her more than expected.
Meanwhile, the players looked different too.
Not survival-focused anymore.
Hungry.
Raúl organized extra defensive sessions himself. Adrian stayed behind after training daily. Even the substitutes trained like desperate men.
Competition had infected the squad completely.
And Malik encouraged it.
Because intensity was now their identity.
Friday press conference.
The media room was overflowing again.
National reporters this time.
Not just local journalists.
Cameras tracked Malik the moment he entered.
Youngest manager in the league. Tactical obsession online. Relegation miracle narrative growing weekly.
Football loved stories.
And Malik had become one.
The first question came instantly.
"Can Miraflores actually beat Racing Gijón?"
Malik answered calmly.
"Yes."
The room buzzed immediately.
Not because of arrogance.
Because he sounded completely serious.
Another journalist jumped in quickly.
"You genuinely believe your team can defeat the best side in the league?"
"Yes."
No hesitation.
No diplomacy.
Just belief.
That confidence spread through football media like gasoline.
"AMARI FEARS NOBODY"
"MIRAFLORES MANAGER TARGETS TOP OF TABLE"
"GENIUS OR DELUSION?"
But inside the dressing room…
The players loved it.
Because confidence from managers spread downward.
Especially before big matches.
Matchday atmosphere felt unreal.
Completely unreal.
Estadio Municipal de Miraflores sold out for the first time in years.
Flares burned outside the stadium hours before kickoff. Fans bounced together chanting Malik's name. Even national broadcasters arrived early.
The cameras loved the story too much now.
And somewhere inside all the noise…
Malik stood alone in the tunnel.
Eyes closed briefly.
Breathing slowly.
This was different now.
Not survival football anymore.
Expectation football.
The hardest kind.
When the players entered the dressing room, the stadium roar vibrated through the walls like thunder.
Nobody spoke much.
They understood the moment.
League leaders. Sold-out stadium. National coverage.
Miraflores suddenly mattered.
Malik finally stood before them.
No tactical board yet.
Just silence.
Then:
"You know what today means?"
The players looked up immediately.
"Today decides whether people think we're temporary…"
A pause.
"…or real."
The room sharpened instantly.
Malik finally grabbed the tactical board.
And what followed was the most detailed tactical instruction session since his arrival.
Pressing lanes. Rotational overloads. Wide traps. False buildup patterns.
Every movement precise.
Every detail intentional.
The players listened like soldiers.
Because now they trusted him completely.
Kickoff.
And immediately…
Chaos.
Racing Gijón pressed like monsters.
Relentless. Violent. Fast.
For ten straight minutes, Miraflores barely escaped their own half.
The stadium tension became unbearable.
One misplaced pass. Another recovery sprint. Another desperate tackle.
Malik screamed adjustments constantly from the touchline.
"Narrower!" "Rotate!" "Don't follow the press!"
Then suddenly…
He saw it.
The weakness.
Tiny. Almost invisible.
But there.
Racing's left-back overcommitted during pressing transitions.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Malik stepped closer to the touchline immediately.
Then shouted one sentence toward Adrian Vega:
"NOW ATTACK THE SPACE BEHIND HIM!"
Adrian nodded instantly.
Three minutes later…
Miraflores broke forward.
Fast.
One touch. Two touch. Vertical release.
Adrian exploded into space.
The entire stadium rose.
One defender beaten.
Then another.
Low cross into the box
GOAL.
1–0.
Absolute pandemonium.
The stadium erupted so violently that commentary audio nearly disappeared beneath the screaming.
Players sprinted toward the corner flag losing their minds while Malik clenched both fists tightly near the touchline.
But even through the chaos…
He noticed something else.
Racing Gijón's manager wasn't panicking.
He was smiling.
And suddenly…
Malik realized something terrifying.
They had been baited deliberately.