The turf of Vallecas Stadium gleamed emerald green under the June sun, but the empty seats in the stands made the stadium appear unusually desolate.
Lu Chuan stepped onto the familiar green field, with only the footsteps of his teammates and the distant whispers of staff members in his ears.
"This feeling is too strange," Álvaro García said, looking around and shaking his head.
Normally, at this time, Vallecas Stadium would be filled with the singing and shouting of fans.
Red and white striped scarves would wave in the stands, and passionate Madrid fans would cheer on their home team with the loudest voices.
But now, giant club GG banners covered the empty stands, and the entire stadium was unsettlingly quiet.
In the commentary box, Fernando Palomo adjusted his microphone, and his voice echoed through the stadium via the loudspeakers:
"Welcome back to the Segunda División, although in a way we have never seen before. This is a huge test for the mentality of all players."
Lu Chuan took a deep breath, savoring the long-lost atmosphere of the match.
The three-month hiatus made him particularly cherish this feeling. He looked at the Albacete players opposite him, their familiar faces revealing the same tension and excitement.
Ukrainian striker Roman Zozulya was warming up; his 1.85-meter frame looked particularly threatening in the penalty area.
This striker, known for his physical confrontation and aggressiveness, had caused trouble for opponents in many matches.
"Watch out for that Ukrainian," Trejo said, walking up to Lu Chuan. "He's got sharp elbows."
Lu Chuan nodded, his gaze sweeping over Albacete's lineup.
Head coach Lucas Alcaraz chose a conservative 4-4-2 formation, clearly wanting to stabilize his team on the road first.
The referee's whistle blew, and the match officially began.
After only five minutes, the difference was clear. Rayo Vallecano's passing and movement were fluid, while Albacete's players seemed not to have woken up from their three-month break.
"It looks like the away team hasn't fully recovered their form," Palomo observed from the commentary box.
In contrast, Rayo Vallecano's players appeared more active.
Trejo's passing was still precise, and Suárez's interceptions were timely. But what was most surprising was Lu Chuan's form.
In the 15th minute, the opportunity came.
After receiving the ball in midfield, Trejo quickly passed it to Lu Chuan in the front field.
Eddy Silvestre immediately pressed forward, trying to restrict Lu Chuan's play with physical confrontation.
But what happened next stunned everyone.
The moment Lu Chuan received the ball, his body suddenly tilted to the left, and Silvestre instinctively followed, shifting his center of gravity.
Just then, Lu Chuan suddenly changed direction to the right, accelerating with astonishing speed.
Silvestre had just closed in when he felt his center of gravity shift, leaving him unbalanced.
Lu Chuan's body was like a steel bar that had been bent and then suddenly straightened, slipping past him in just one step.
"Oh my god! That change of direction was too fast!" Palomo exclaimed involuntarily.
After shaking off the defender, Lu Chuan continued to advance, and Albacete's defense immediately became tense.
Center-back Arroyo quickly moved to cover, trying to stop Lu Chuan's breakthrough.
Lu Chuan didn't choose to force his way through, but instead delivered a brilliant through ball from the edge of the penalty area.
The ball threaded through the gap between two defenders, precisely finding Álvaro García.
The moment Lu Chuan looked up, García understood. He abandoned his entanglement with the full-back and decisively cut in from the wing, and Lu Chuan's pass arrived as expected.
García shot, and the ball flew towards the bottom right corner of the goal. Nadal dived to save, his fingertips touching the ball, pushing it out for a corner kick.
"What a pity! It was almost a goal!"
Lu Chuan raised his hands, applauding his teammate's run. Although there was no goal, this combination had already shown Rayo Vallecano's threat.
Alcaraz couldn't sit still; he walked to the sideline, called over his defensive midfielder, gave him instructions, pointing in Lu Chuan's direction, muttering with a serious expression.
The match continued, with both sides fiercely contesting in midfield. Zozulya used his physical advantage to create threats in the front, but Rayo Vallecano's defense handled it well.
In the 25th minute, Albacete got a good chance. Pedro Sánchez delivered a cross from the right, and Zozulya outjumped Savić to head the ball in the penalty area.
The ball narrowly missed the post, allowing Rayo Vallecano to escape a scare.
"The away team's counter-attacks are still threatening," Palomo commented.
But as the match progressed, Albacete's players' stamina issues began to show. The three-month hiatus left their physical condition far inferior to Rayo Vallecano's.
In the 38th minute, the turning point finally arrived.
Right-back Advíncula received the ball on the wing, facing the defense of Fran García. The Peruvian international showed excellent speed, breaking through at high speed along the sideline.
García tried to block him with his body, but Advíncula's explosiveness was superior. He successfully broke free of the defense and reached the byline.
Advíncula didn't hesitate, immediately sending in a cross. The ball drew a perfect arc, heading straight for the center of the penalty area.
Lu Chuan had already anticipated the landing spot of this cross. He used his elusive movement to quietly get behind Arroyo. When the ball flew in, Lu Chuan leaped high.
Full Field Vision allowed him to clearly see the goalkeeper's position and angle. Nadal was positioned slightly to the left, leaving a large gap on the right side of the goal.
Lu Chuan powerfully headed the ball, smashing it towards the bottom right corner of the goal. Nadal reacted quickly, diving to save, but the angle of the ball was too tricky.
The net rippled, goal! 1-0!
Lu Chuan's roar echoed through the empty Vallecas Stadium, exceptionally clear in the silent environment. He spread his arms, celebrating freely in the penalty area.
"Goal! Lu Chuan breaks the deadlock!" Palomo exclaimed excitedly in his commentary. "That was a textbook header!"
Teammates swarmed around, surrounding Lu Chuan. Trejo hugged him tightly, his eyes full of excitement.
"Kid, that was a beautiful goal!"
Advíncula also ran over to celebrate, proud of his assist.
"Perfect combination!"
Teammates on the bench were also celebrating wildly, Paco waving his fists on the sideline.
Although there were no cheers from fans, this goal still made everyone's blood boil.
Albacete's players looked at the celebrating Lu Chuan, their eyes filled with helplessness and confusion.
They couldn't understand why, after a three-month hiatus, this chinese kid had become even stronger.
"This is impossible," Isaac said, shaking his head. "How did he get so fast?"
Silvestre also looked bewildered. That change of direction and acceleration just now had completely exceeded his expectations.
The match restarted, and Albacete tried to intensify their attack. But their physical disadvantage became increasingly apparent, and the accuracy of their passing also declined.
Before the end of the first half, Rayo Vallecano had a few more good chances, but none were converted into goals.
During halftime, Paco praised the team's performance in the locker room.