Vinicius Sent Off After Hair-Pulling Incident as Diomande Fires Real Madrid to Victory

Real Madrid returned to winning ways in La Liga with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu. Ivorian winger Yan Diomande scored the decisive goal, while Vinicius Junior’s controversial red card added late drama to an otherwise tight contest.

The victory was particularly important for Jose Mourinho’s side after their 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid before the international break.

Real Madrid now have 18 points from eight matches, with six wins, leaving them third in the La Liga standings. Atletico Madrid are second with 19 points, while defending champions Barcelona lead the table with 24 points. Villarreal sit 10th with eight points.

Mbappe Misses Two Big Chances

Real Madrid had opportunities to take control of the match in the first half, with Kylian Mbappe coming closest.

In the seventh minute, Arda Guler’s cross eventually found Mbappe after Alvaro Carreras’ involvement, but the French forward’s effort from close range struck the outside of the post.

Mbappe had another opportunity in the 29th minute. He controlled Trent Alexander-Arnold’s long pass from inside his own half and carried the ball into the box, but Villarreal’s goalkeeper denied him.

Real Madrid registered five shots in the opening half, with only one finding the target, as the teams went into the break level.

Diomande Breaks the Deadlock

Real Madrid finally found the breakthrough in the 62nd minute.

Federico Valverde played the ball into the box, where Diomande collected it before producing a low finish into the far corner. An initial offside flag raised doubts about the goal, but a VAR review confirmed the strike.

It was Diomande’s first goal for Real Madrid in his ninth appearance since joining the club for a record transfer fee last summer.

Vinicius Sees Goal Cancelled and Gets Red Card

Real Madrid appeared to have doubled their advantage in the 71st minute when Vinicius Junior finished a move after receiving a pass from Jude Bellingham.

The Brazilian forward moved down the left before entering the box and sending the ball into the net with a finish from just outside the six-yard area. He celebrated with his teammates, and Mourinho also ran towards the players.

However, the celebration was short-lived.

After reviewing the replay on the VAR monitor, the referee cancelled the goal and showed Vinicius a straight red card. The reason was an incident earlier in the move, when the Brazilian was seen pulling Villarreal defender Saliba’s hair from behind in midfield.

Vinicius protested the decision and moved towards the referee, with tensions rising on the pitch.

Real Madrid were forced to play the remainder of the match with 10 men, but Villarreal could not find an equaliser.

The final whistle confirmed a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid, giving Mourinho’s side an important three points after their defeat to Atletico Madrid.

However, Vinicius’ dismissal could prove to be an additional concern for Real Madrid as they prepare for their next La Liga fixture.