Espanyol take brutal dig at Real Madrid superstar after controversial incident in the penalty box

Espanyol take brutal dig at Real Madrid superstar after controversial incident in the penalty box Real Madrid left the RCDE Stadium with three points after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Espanyol, with Jude Bellingham and Carlos Espi getting the goals. It was a win that marked Jose Mourinho’s first official victory as manager since his return to the club, and there were signs of promise. One incident in particular that caused controversy involved Vinicius Junior and has continued long after the final whistle. Espanyol aim sarcastic message at Vinicius Espanyol used their official social media account to take a thinly disguised swipe at the Brazilian after believing he should have received a second yellow card for simulation. “After how many dives do you get a second yellow? Asking for a friend,” Espanyol posted. While the tweet as such does not explicitly name Vinicius, there was little mystery about its intended target. The incident came when Vinicius went down inside the Espanyol penalty area following slight contact from Edu Exposito. The Madrid forward wanted a penalty, but referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez waved away his appeal and VAR did not intervene. The frustration from Espanyol came from the fact that Vinicius had already been booked following an earlier confrontation with Alex Calatrava. Espanyol wanted second yellow There is a good possibility that the Madrid winger might have been given a yellow for simulation had he not already been on a booking. Had that happened, Mourinho’s team would have been reduced to 10 men with more than half an hour remaining. From Espanyol’s perspective, they are right to believe that such a sending-off could have changed the final result of the game. However, there is some discussion to be had from the other direction too. Madrid would have been justified in feeling Calatrava himself was fortunate to remain on the pitch after several incidents involving the Brazilian, including an early challenge and another foul. Vinicius at centre of a heated encounter It wasn’t the best of nights for Vinicius Jr. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) It was an uncomfortable evening for Vinicius, whose battle with Espanyol’s players became one of the major themes of the match. Jose Mourinho subsequently defended his winger and criticised what he described as persistent “bullying” of the Brazilian, while acknowledging that Vinicius himself is not always blameless. While Espi’s winner on his official debut ultimately gave Mourinho a 2-1 victory, the discussion seems to have taken a different tangent. It is a new season in La Liga , and opponents continue to target Vinicius, and it remains to be seen how Jose goes about protecting him this season.