Vinícius red card overshadows Diomandé’s Real Madrid breakthrough

Vinícius red card overshadows Diomandé’s Real Madrid breakthrough Yan Diomandé scored his first Real Madrid goal to secure a 1-0 win over Villarreal on Saturday, 10 October, but the result was overshadowed by Vinícius Júnior’s dismissal. The Guardian and the Associated Press reported that the substitute had a goal ruled out before VAR review led to a red card for pulling Villarreal’s Nathan Saliba’s hair. Madrid remained six points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona. Diomandé makes the breakthrough José Mourinho had left Vinícius on the bench, with the winger returning after travelling with Brazil during the international break. Madrid defended more effectively than they attacked in a subdued first half, while Kylian Mbappé struck the post and later forced a save from Villarreal goalkeeper Peter Gulácsi. The breakthrough came after the interval. Federico Valverde played Diomandé into position, and the summer arrival finished low into the far corner to give Madrid the lead. The Guardian described him as the club’s record signing; the goal was his first for Los Blancos. Diomandé’s arrival had already drawn attention as part of Madrid’s summer business, and his move to the club set expectations before he opened his account. This was a decisive contribution in a tight league match, though the result alone does not settle what role he will have in Mourinho’s plans. Vinícius dismissal puts focus on Clásico Vinícius appeared to have doubled the lead after Jude Bellingham drove down the left and cut the ball back. The referee, Isidro Díaz de Mera Escuderos, reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor after VAR flagged the hair pull on Saliba, then disallowed the goal and sent off the Brazilian. Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni questioned the decision’s circumstances while also recognising the importance of the victory, according to The Guardian. Madrid held on with 10 men, with Thibaut Courtois making a late acrobatic save to deny Carlos Romero. The win provisionally lifted Madrid to third, leaving them six points behind Barcelona. Vinícius now faces the possibility of a suspension that could rule him out of the Clásico on 25 October, although no outcome was confirmed in the reports. The incident also renews attention on his place in Mourinho’s plans, as the discussion around the winger’s role continues after his spell on the bench.